


Extra Cargo

by MissGuenever



Series: Extra Cargo [1]
Category: Firefly
Genre: Aliases, Bible, Caper Fic, Childhood Trauma, Crew as Family, Dinosaurs, F/M, Family, Family Meals, Men shopping, Needs More Dinosaurs!, Past Drug Use, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Spanking, Tea, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2020-10-06 18:07:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 49,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20511251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissGuenever/pseuds/MissGuenever
Summary: My idea of an episode arc, somewhere between the end of the first season and way before the movie.An exploration of the lives of Serenity's crew with some Extra Cargo and an 'easy' paying job to Pythagoras. Boxes, letters, dinosaurs, spider webs, men shopping, checklists, and a gentle but gruff Jayne. A story of an unconventional family being created - not slash. Mostly tooth rotting fluff.





	1. One Box to Boros

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted on fanfiction.net; but, it being updated and posted here.

The crew of the Serenity walked out of the cargo bay into the sunny, dusty marketplace on Persephone; except for Simon and River who were staying behind and out of site. Wash and Zoe were going to find a bath and quiet time alone. Mal was off to various different areas on ship errands. Book was off to the Abbey for tea with his fellow Shepards and to see if they had some vegetables to spare. Inara had left the ship in her shuttle prior to Serenity landing in Persephone on her way to a short engagement. And Jayne was off to find a drink and a woman, in that order.

As they all scattered their separate ways a small figure, of rather indeterminate age, watched from the shadows eyes narrowing in on Mal. A medium height man with a gun belt slung low across his hips. He looked like he could be a good mark; the gun wasn’t too big of a deal. Everyone wore one if not two or three and he would never notice his money missing. Caroline squared her shoulders back and headed out from the alley mimicking his stride on the other side of him and generally making a little nuisance of herself; an amusing little nuisance. It was an act that she had perfected over the last couple of years; sometimes people gave her credits, other times she took them. At first the man tried to ignore her; but, she wouldn’t let that happen. After five minutes of watching him laugh at her antics she pinched his wallet vanished into a convenient alley. Darting quickly from that alley into another alley she finally stopped and checked out the Ident Card and tried to sound out the name – M, Ma, Mal… something – reading wasn’t her strong suit. “Some fancy pants name” she thought to herself as she shoved everything inside her coat. “Maybe ma’s feeling good today;” it was nice when she was feeling good then if Caroline brought home wallets with Ident Cards they’d play a little game guessing about the lives of the people on the cards. If she was feeling really good they would go out for walk in the marketplace and buy fruit, real fruit with the money she got from selling Ident Cards to Two Snouts or Badger. But, that didn’t happen too much. Usually the money went to Badger for drops to stop ma from hearing the screams and whiskey to make her forget about the dead people. Lately they’d been coming more then they used to. Badger told her that her Ma’s mind was broke in the war – “the dammed Alliance.”

Creeping into the darkened room at the edge of Persephone, Caroline yelled: “Ma, Ma, I got a good one. The pic is a dandy, some fancy pants.” 

“Lemme-shee, sweety” Golensa drunkenly slurred.

Handing over the Ident Card Caroline watched Golensa’s eyes widen as she looked at it. Golensa felt her mind snap back to sobriety as she looked into the eyes of the man who fathered her baby girl. She sat for a minute and thought back to the night that she got pregnant. It was the war for Independence and she’d been a foot soldier like Mal; they were pinned down in an abandoned warehouse. And, well needs were needs, and fear was fear. It wasn’t making love so much as an act of desperation; but, the result was someone who gave her a reason to live.

Golensa sat and stared at the picture of the man who gave her the only true love of her life. An idea started to form. She would give Caroline, her darling Caroline her childhood back. If Mal was in port then Zoë would be here too. Zoë always had Mal’s back. They would make Caroline good parents. Now how did she get Caroline to Mal and Zoë?

A plan, she needed a plan. The hard part would be getting a letter to Mal; a letter that he wouldn’t open until after his boat took off. And was far enough away that they wouldn’t turn around. Golensa hauled up her scrawny, used up body, and dug around in the small box of “savings” she and Caroline had. With the money from Mal’s wallet there should be enough credits there to purchase passage. Now to find the boat.

Slitting her eyes she staggered out into the harsh afternoon sunlight and went down to the loading area of the marketplace looking for Mal and Zoë and any sign of whatever boat they were on. 

Kaylee was sitting in front of Serenity talking with Book about the thronging masses milling around, life at the abbey, the growing season for strawberries, women’s fashion, and whatever else came to their minds. 

“ ’Scuse, me does this shi-ip carry cargo?” Asked Golensa, as she tried desperately to look reputable. 

“Yep, she does” replied Kaylee looking at Golensa.

“That’s good, really good; I got a box that needs to go to Boros. Pretties and such for my family.”

“We just came from Boros; not sure when we’ll be going back there.” Interjected Book, feeling a little concerned about this woman who was an obvious drug addict.

“Don’t really matter when it gets there, just that it gets there. How much?”

“Well,” answered Kaylee, “probably not too much.”

“That’s good; real good. I don’t got too much. Is this enough?” Asked Golensa pulling out a bunch of credits. The credits from her savings and some that had been in the wallet that Caroline had slipped from Mal’s pocket.

“It’ll do; I’ll ask the Cap’n just to be sure.” Was Kaylee’s light hearted response as she was twirling her colorful paper umbrella. “You come back with your box, Cap’n wants to leave this afternoon.”

“Ok, ok, I’ll be back before Sarg… urr Cap’n Reynolds’s wants to leave.” Golensa hurriedly took here leave almost stumbling over Kaylee’s chair. She really hoped that no one noticed her missteps.

“Wonder what she wants us to take to Boros?” Kaylee idly wondered as she watched the woman walk away. “Hope it’s something interesting.”

“Mmm…hmmm” responded Shepard Book as he turned his attention to book of poetry he’d been reading before Kaylee had started talking with him.

Traveling this way wasn’t unfamiliar to Caroline. It was much cheaper for one person with luggage to travel then for two people with nothing to travel. So it was without much thought that Caroline climbed into the crate on top of everything she owned; which really wasn’t much: A change of clothes, and a ragged stuffed doll that resembled a horse, or had once when it still had all four legs. Zoey, the horse’s name, was missing a leg, most of its tail, and an eye. She just needed to make sure she was out of the box before night; that was when ma got bad. Clutching Zoey, named after one of ma’s friends from the war. Ma had told her stories of Zoë and Mal, and how they were the good guys. When she gave Caroline the horse, she said its name was Zoey, because Zoey was incredibly loyal, and gentle; but, you never wanted to get on her bad side for then you would feel the power of her rage. A rage much like that of horses when you tried to hurt something or someone that they loved and viewed as family. 

Caroline took the soother, and accepted the warm blanket of sleep as it swept over her as she hoped that Ma wouldn’t forget about her this time. Last time Ma got drunk and forgot about her.

Golensa used more of Mal’s credits to find a deliveryman to take the box to Serenity; along with an envelope with the last of the credits and some brief directions of what to do with the box once it got to Boros. Although, she didn’t think that they would ever be used, and fervently hoped that they wouldn’t. She had also packed her old brown coat for Caroline, and letters, letters to Caroline, a letter to Mal apologizing for not telling him earlier about Caroline. And a letter for Zoë, apologizing for everything; and hoping that they could carry Caroline until she could walk on her own; for Golensa was no longer walking; but, crawling and did not want anyone to see her in the condition she was – a used up junkie whore.

The delivery man, Mal, and Zoë all arrived at Serenity at the same time. Mal was cussing his luck about his wallet; and Zoë was saying something about the footpad being quite talented. 

“Delivery, one box, for Serenity – bound for Boros. Someone’s got to sign for this thing.” Rattled off the rather bored delivery man as he pulled the box off his mule and set it down at the top of the ramp.

“Hmph, I will; I’m the Captain of this ship.” Grumped Mal as he turned to sign for it taking the papers and envelope the uniformed man handed him.

“Payment should be with it, Cap’n. Lady promised. She said it don’t matter when it gets there. Jess some family fei hua.” the deliveryman just about sprinted down the ramp when Jayne showed up growling about moving more gorr-am crates around.

“Wash, get this boat in the air.” Shouted Mal as he made his way up toward the bridge to go and do Captain-y stuff.


	2. Stampeding Dinosaurs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wash describes the team; and they discover something strange in the cargo hold

Most everyone was sitting around the table in the common area talking about the day, how Mal “lost” his wallet, the woman who wanted to ship a box to Boros, and the new job on Hillard when Inara glided in.

“Mal, the cargo you picked up is thumping. Is it supposed to do that?”

“Uh, no; it’s just supposed to be some stuff for someone on Boros.” Commented Mal as he shoved his chair back from the table and headed quickly towards the cargo area with everyone thundering after him.

Wash took up the rear and rather thought that they resembled a small herd of stampeding dinosaurs. Shepard Book was a brontosaurus; a large spirit, gentle except when directly threatened. Jayne was apaeotosaurus, a deceptive lizard. Kaylee was a quetzalcoatus, a birdlike creature soaring high above chaos. “Wuh de tyen ah! That box really is thumping.” Exclaimed Wash watching the crate thump back and forth as though someone or something was trying to get out. “I hope it’s a beagle. I like beagles.”

“Ten, eleven. Five, six, eight.” muttered River as she rushed out of the cargo bay heading someplace that was of great importance that only she could discern. “Not beagles…” They would have all heard if they had been listening; but, they were staring raptly at the box that was thumping quite rhythmically.

“Cap’n; be careful…said Kaylee quite concernedly as she stood next to Simon watching Mal approach the crate. Reaching the crate, Mal watching it for a minute and then popped the single latch and watched in amazement as the front fell open and a small dirty child fell out clutching a ragged stuffed animal that could be a horse under one arm and a small vicious looking knife in its left hand. Kaylee rushed forward to try and comfort or just to do something for the snarling child. Mal grabbed her arm as she tried to kneel down and get close to the child. “Ni hao.” she said gently while trying to shake off Mal’s grip and kneeling down to be at eye level with the child. “Are you ok?”

“Is that a boy or a girl?” whispered Jayne to Wash.

”My name is Kaylee. What’s yours?” In response the child’s eyes skittered across the hold saw Mal and the others milling around the crate; clutching the horse and the knife scrambled back into the recesses of Serenity where no one could get her. Shaking free of Mal, Kaylee went after the child making comforting noises. Inara and Simon followed Kaylee hoping to lure the child out.

“Well, that went well.” Mal shook his head and lifted the top of the crate wondering if there was any information about it in there. 

“Interesting cargo indeed, Kaylee got her wish indeed.” Commented Book as he watched Mal remove an old army issue brown coat to reveal several neatly packed items: a small Buddha, a gold cross, a battered wallet, and a change of clothes.

“My wallet!” yelped Mal snatching it out and turning to show Zoë, revealing the letter beneath it. Book saw that the letter was addressed in a spidery handwriting simply to Sgt. Reynolds; he reached in took it out before Wash, or Jane could see it and comment. As he took the letter he saw that there was another one addressed to Zoë Alleyne and he picked that one up as well.

As everyone started talking at once setting up a hum in the cargo bay Book reached over and took Mal’s arm, pulled him aside quietly and told him “I think you should see this.” Book then walked over to Zoë and repeated his actions. Zoë took the letter and headed out of the cargo bay to read it in private; this was getting strange enough she wanted to be alone when she opened the letter. Wash followed close at her heals, kind of like one of the beagles he’d been talking about earlier.

Turning around Mal took the letter, walking to the stairs, and sank down as he began to read. “Tzao gao,” he muttered to himself “My God” as he kept reading, “wuh de tyen ah,” he kept switching between Mandarin and English. He staggered up and walked dazedly over to where Kaylee, Inara, and Simon were trying to coax her out of Serenity’s bulkhead. “Caroline, her name is Caroline. Make sure Simon looks her over when you get her out.” And with that he went to the bridge to think.

“That ain’t no ruttin girl.” Jayne grunted at Book as he watched the retreating back of the Captain. “Girls got more hair.” And seeing as all the excitement was over headed out going to his quarters to clean Henrietta, his second best boot gun, as she had been exposed to the dust and grime on Persephone. Wasn’t any point in taking his best gun out there, no action, and the dust got in the action something fierce. 

Book headed over to where Caroline was hiding and looking at the three of them milling around the hole said that he would bring her to Simon in the infirmary when she came out, and that all of the people hovering where probably terrifying her. After Kayee, Inara, and Simon moved off towards the common room Book sat next to the hole where Caroline was hiding and began to talk in his calming voice. He told her that he was a Shepard, a Shepard from the Southdown Abbey on Persephone. He told her about the gardens there, and how on Tuesdays they always made special meals for the children. He told her about Serenity, and her crew; and that they were good people. He told her the story of David and Goliath. He told her about the places that he had been on Serenity, and the people he had met (severely edited for content).

As he was talking Caroline was listening, and she did remember the meals on Tuesdays at the Abbey; ma always made sure she went. And she liked the Shepards they were nice, gave her new shoes when hers got too bad. Gave her medicine when she was sick, not like that nasty doctor at the Alliance clinic who stuck her with needles and shaved her head – he’d said she had bugs in her hair, and called her a dirty hwoon dahn. Doctors were just bad news.

Creeping out to sit next to the Shepard, clutching Zoey, she put her knife back in its holster. She was proud of the holster she’d made it herself; it held the knife upside down under her shirt so that she could grab it easily. Caroline had a second hiding spot for the knife, inside of Zoey. She’d had to use the knife a couple times, once to stop some boys from torturing a cat, and once to stop some from taking her money. Book noticed, by smell and the wheeze in her breathing, that she had left her hidey hole; but, not wanting to scare her he kept talking about how he missed his garden. And someday how he wanted a garden again where he would grow strawberries for Kaylee, the mechanic; apples for Jayne and Wash; and vegetables for the dinner. Lots of kinds of vegetables: beans, peas, corn, squash, potatoes, cabbage, and lots of others.

Finally looking down at Caroline he asked “Are you hungry, little one?” She nodded still scared to speak, and wondering where was her ma; but, she was completely intimidated by the new surroundings. She’d pretty much figured out that ma wasn’t here. She really wanted to ask; but,...

“Well, we’d best get you washed up. Would you mind if Kaylee and Inara helped and got you some clean clothes?” Caroline shook her head no as Book stood up and took her hand and led her to Inara’s shuttle. As they were making the short walk, Book told her that Inara was really nice and wouldn’t hurt her. And he asked her if she would mind if he went and got dinner ready? She nodded no, a very tentative no as Book was knocking on the shuttle door. 

“Come in.”

“Inara, this is Caroline. I’ve told her that you would be helping her clean up for dinner.” Caroline’s eyes opened wide at the luxurious surroundings that were the complete opposite of the cargo bay, and the docks on Persephone. She’d only seen things this fancy in store windows.

“Sweetie, come in.” motioned Inara as she lit a stick of fragrant incense. “Of course I’ll help. Thank you Shepard.” Book took his leave presumably to tell Simon and the Captain that Caroline had come out and would be at dinner; but, that the exam had probably better wait as she was still rather skittish. 

Finally gathering her voice and courage up Caroline asked “Where’s Kaylee? She likes strawberries, I like them too; but, blueberries are better.”

“Let’s call her. She can help you shower and I will make you a dress for dinner. Would you like to call her?” Inara walked over to the comm system and motioned for Caroline to follow, showed her which buttons to push and what to say.

The next thing anyone heard was a tentative young female voice saying “Kaylee to Shuttle 1.” With wide eyes, a desire to please, and her finger still on the talk button, she turned to Inara “did I do that right, Ma’am?” Her ma always told her call her elders Sir or Ma’am. Said she couldn’t give her much; but, she could give Caroline some manners.

Inara gently took Caroline’s finger off the talk button and told her that no-one else on the ship could do it that well. Hearing the page Kaylee hurried towards the shuttle.

Zoë was sitting with Wash’s arms around her on their bunk eyes not quite believing what she was reading. She kept muttering to herself, Mal, daughter, qin aide wo de ma; over and over again. Closing her eyes she saw Golensa, as she and Mal had known her, a young and vibrant woman looking forward to seeing planets other then her own. Not some used up, broken down junky whore whose sole aspiration was to that her daughter was safe. When her daughter was safe she could die peacefully; not hearing the screams of the dead anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fei hua --   
Gorram – Damn  
Hwoon dahn -- Bastard  
Ni hao -- Hello  
Qin aide wo de ma – Dear mother of God  
Tzao gao – Damn it  
Wuh de tyen ah – My God


	3. What a Child Needs

Dinner was a rather quiet strained affair, a simple meal that Book had put together with vegetables from the Abbey. Mal, Zoë, and Wash were adjusting to the news that Mal had a daughter. Inara and Kaylee were watching Caroline marveled at the transformation that took place when about ten layers of dirt were removed; she looked like Mal, a small female version of him; the same eyes and jaw-line. Inara she wondered if the little one had the same mercurial moods as the Captain did. Book was watching Mal; and Simon and Jayne were glaring at each other over River’s head. Something about Simon saving the biggest dullest needles he had for Jayne. And River was being River; talking in circles about things that no one quite understood but her.

Caroline ate with the manners of a starving animal. Manners that were equal to Jayne’s in quality; and she stared. She stared around the ship; it was her first time off planet. Stared at Mal, and wondered why he made Ma go weird all of a sudden. Stared at Zoë and wondered if she was the person that Zoey was named after. Stared at River wondering why she got to look messy, and why she was mumbling about beagles and holes, and broken things that love held in the air.

How do you tell someone that their mother isn’t coming for them? Pondered Mal as he ate his dinner watching his daughter at the common room table. His daughter, hard to believe that he had a daughter and one that had table manners like Jayne. Book, he needed to talk with Shepard Book, he would know how to approach this situation. As everyone was finishing dinner Mal asked Book, “Could I speak with you for a few moments, Shepard?”

“Certainly, Captain” nodded the Shepard as he took his last sip of tea.

“Thank you. Kaylee, River take Caroline and show her the boat.”

As everyone left to go about their after dinner chores, tasks and other activities the Shepard and Mal headed out of the common area up to the cockpit. By the time they had reached the doorway the preacher and the Captain were deep in conversation on their way up to the bridge where Mal was planning on sending a wave to Persephone. Kaylee overheard bits and pieces of their conversation: daughter, accept, scared, close.

River, Kaylee, and Caroline went around the various compartments of the ship stopping to look at the pretty pink dress and colored lights in Kaylee’s room. Caroline climbed under the pink frothy concoction that was hanging at the foot of Kaylee’s bunk. Small places made her feel safer.

“Bao bei, how old are you? Five? Ten? Fifteen?” asked Kaylee teasingly peeking under the frothy trim.

“Ma says I’m seven; almost eight. Where is my ma? Is me ma here? Or did she leave me here with the Shepard?” asked Caroline looking at Kaylee and River as she clutched Zoey even more tightly. “She done left me with the Shepards at the Abbey before. They was nice gave me apples and blueberries; didn’t stick me with needles. That done happened once, when the hun dan purple-bellies took me from ma. They said she wasn’t fit or sumpin like that. Didn make no cents to me. I don’t like needles, they hurt.”

“Qin aide wo de ma” Kaylee’s eyes just kept getting wider and wider as Caroline spoke her piece in a voice that said being dumped into an unknown environment wasn’t that big of a deal. “Bao bei, we’d better ask the Cap’n.”

“He and Book are up on the high mountain” piped up River coming out from under the hoops of Kaylee’s dresses. “We shall have to go up on high.”

“Lead the way” piped Kaylee looking at River trying to keep the tears out of her voice. Like a little train they wound there way up to the bridge with River being the engine and Kaylee as the caboose.

Poking her head through the hatch River went “choo - choo” at the top of her lungs. 

Quickly followed by Caroline and Kaylee going “hunk – a – chunk, hunk – a chunk, hunk – a – chunk.”

“Choo – choo!”

Mal and the Shepard looked up in surprise. Shepard Book was holding the letter addressed to Captain Reynolds; and Mal was pacing back and forth. Given that they hadn’t heard the train coming up the ladder-well their discussion must have been really deep and serious.

“We were just discussing you mei mei.” Book told Caroline gently as he looked at the three faces peeking in the hatch. “And the fact that the Captain is your father.” He then handed the letter back to Mal.

Looking at Mal in surprise as she stepped into the bridge Caroline told Book very defensively “He ain’t my da; ma said that da and Zoë died in ‘renity Valley. He’s too old.”

“How old do you think I am?”

“Old, at least eighty.” Returned Caroline with the certainty that only a child can have for something like that.

“I may be old, little one; but, I’m not that old. And I didn’t die at Serenity Valley.”

Didn’t die, what did that mean? Her da was dead and gone; long gone. The little hairs on the back her neck raised Caroline clenched her fist, and clutched Zoey tighter with her other hand trying to ward off the growing sense of fear that; thankful that her knife was inside the horse. The lady called Inara had made her take off her holster; said she didn’t need a knife on board. Caroline felt safer with her knife and she’d snuck it into Zoey’s belly when Inara wasn’t looking. Looking around the bridge frantically like a cornered wild animal she wondered where was ma? “You ain my da! Whad you do with me ma? Where is she? Where are we going? Whadya goin’ to do with me?”

“You’re her father?” gasped Kaylee kneeling down to gather Caroline into her arms to try and calm her down. 

“Not beagles.” reproached River looking at Wash’s dinosaurs as she left the bridge. “Holes, big holes; watch out for the holes.”

“Sssh-ssh mei-mei; everything’s going to be just shiny, Cap’n will fix it proper. Won’ cha Cap?” She said as she looked at him with worried eyes.

“Your ma’s not here little one.” Mal tried to tell her as gently as he could clutched the letter tightly crumpling it a little. “She sent you here for me and Zoë to take care of you; because she’s sick.”

“No, ma wouldn’t do that unless she was bad again. She’s been good, not screaming much no more. She’s here; I know it, she’s gotta be. What did you do with her? Where’s my ma?” Caroline shook Kaylee off at the beginning of the tirade and drew her knife out of its hidey hole in Zoey where there used to be a leg. Ready to protect herself and Zoey from these people who claimed to want to help, the urge to flee took over and with that she turned and ran out of the bridge, down the ladderwell, darted around Wash and Zoë, and disappeared.

“Cap’n what was in that letter?” gasped Kaylee not quite comprehending everything that was going on. Wordlessly Mal just looked at the letter in his hand as Wash and Zoë came into the bridge. Book started to move to give Wash his usual pilots chair, which he motioned that the Shepard should just keep. 

“Mal, a daughter, Zhen de ma?” asked Zoë uncharacteristically gently.

“It appears so. And we are supposed to raise her.” Mal ran his fingers through his hair, causing him to drop the letter unnoticed. “This isn’t exactly someplace safe for a five, six year old child.”

Zoe turned slightly to look hard at Wash trying to subliminally keep him from speaking about his opinions on child-rearing on Serenity. “Seven, she said she’s seven. She’s just really small for her age.” Kaylee said as she bent down to pick up the letter. “It’s a jian jiu xiu shi home for all of us; and its lots better then living with the Alliance or at the Abbey. No offense Shepard.”

“None taken. A family is always the best place for a child to be raised”

“She said that her ma had left her with the Shepards before; and that once the Alliance had taken her. Said that her mother was unfit. Serenity’s got to be better then being brought up by the Alliance.”

“Golensa, unfit?” mused Mal.

“Sir, that does make sense with what all she said in her letter to me.” Added Zoë.

“I just can’t see it. She was like Kaylee -- always cheerful, looking at the bright side of things no matter how bad they got. A broken junky whore; it don’t make sense. She was so cheerful you wanted to duct tape her mouth shut. Don’t make sense at all.”

Reading the beginning of the letter out loud Kaylee uttered something that was now fairly familiar to everyone on the bridge:

“If you can't walk, you crawl, if you can't crawl... You find somebody to carry you.”

And she continued reading the rest of the letter to herself, in tears by the end of the letter, now understanding how a mother could feel desperate enough to send her child away.

_ Mal, we had one night together. One night to forget about everything happening around us. I can’t forget anymore. I’m haunted every time I close my eyes by the screams, screams of living begging to die, screams of the dead begging to live. The faces of those we tried to save, those we had to kill, and the souls we had to leave behind. How do you write a letter; telling a man that you spent one night with that he fathered a child? Then in the same breath ask him to be a father, a good father? I’m not capable of being a mother. I am crawling now; and don’t have long to crawl. Please, take care of our baby girl – Caroline Lilliana Reynolds – until she is able and capable to be on her own. I named her after your mother, and my mother. She is everything too me; and I must give her a future; a future she will never be able to have with a used up junky whore.  
-Golensa_

Sir, we can’t just dump her somewhere; she needs us to carry Caroline until she’s old enough to walk alone. She deserves Serenity more then anyone else.” Patting the hull she finished “She’ll take good of her, keep her safe.”

“Kaylee, this isn’t a broken grav-boot, or a puppy. This is a child.” 

“Cap’n, she’s not just a child. She’s YOUR child. Your kin.”

“What can I offer her? Chances to get corpsified on a regular basis? The opportunity to be on the run all the time? To be able to eat molded protein day in and day out? That’s not the life for a child.” Thinking back to his childhood on Shadow. “A child needs clean air, open spaces, and freedom. None of which we have here.”

Speaking up for the first time in while Zoë interjected “Mal, all a child needs is unconditional love. That we can offer.”

“What kind of future did she have with her mother? Jail? Death? I don’t think she’s ever gone to school. She can be a whore when she grows up, or a bar wench.” Snapped Kaylee glaring at Mal and she stormed out of the bridge going to find Caroline.

“Well then, I guess she stays; but, just on a temporary basis.” Sinking into the co-pilot’s chair and putting his head in his hands he felt overwhelmed to the point of nausea. Mal didn’t know anything about being a parent.

Sensing his discomfit Book looked directly at him, and borrowed some words from River “You’ll do fine, Captain Daddy, you’ll do fine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bao bei -- precious/treasure  
Chsheng xai-jiao de xiang huo - animal f***ing bastard  
Gorram – Damn  
Jian jiu xiu shi – dandy  
Mei-mei: Little sister  
Qin aide wo de ma – Dear mother of God  
Tamade hundan -- fucking bastard  
Xin gan/ai ren – sweetheart  
zang shang liu – filthy rich (upper class)  
Zhen de ma? - is that true?


	4. Somewhere Safe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations are at the end

Safe, some place safe to hide, someplace where she could be warm again. Someplace where the cold that was in her bones would go away. That was all she needed. Caroline narrowly missed Wash and Zoë as she left the bridge trying to find someplace safe. Running blindly through the passage ways she managed to calm down enough to keep some of her well honed street sense around her and paused when she saw Simon; and managed to duck around a corner before he saw her. He went into the infirmary, and she continued. The ship seemed to go on forever; the “tour” Kaylee and River had given her wasn’t helping her. Caroline started to feel panicked again everything seemed to vanish from her mind except for the need to find someplace to hide. She started running, wishing she was still at the docks; there she knew where to hide, there she had friends, there she could forget everything but the moment. 

Jayne finished his dinner and bugged Simon for a little while as he did dishes. Then he headed down to the cargo bay to lift weights. Lifting helped Jayne think things through – and this short person who looked just like Mal, a Mini-Mal was something that needed some thinking about.

Caroline was close to hysterical when she came into the cargo bay, she saw the hole in Serenity’s bulkhead that she had hidden in right when she had come out of the box. Zeroing in on the hole she sprinted across the open floor, her street sense had left with the full-on panic, and not looking left or right she ran and crashed right into Jayne.

Jayne grabbed hold of squirming body and then looked down. He looked down at a feral animal who was fighting for some semblance of freedom. Trying to get away desperately, squirming, kicking, biting, anything. She finally looked up enough that Jayne caught a look at her eyes. They were terrified. Instincts that Jayne had thought were long forgotten, instincts gained from taking care of his younger brothers and sisters back home kicked in and he growled out “shh, shh, xin gan. What’s wrong?”

“Let me go, you chsheng xai-jiao de xiang huo, fancy pants.”

“Ain’t a bastard; knew both my ma and pa. And I ain’t no fancy pants.”

“You’re here.”

“Yep, they pay me to be here. I do their dirty work. Will you calm down? I ain’t gonna hurt you.” Squatting down Jayne wrapped his arms around the little girl.

“I wan my ma.” And with that Caroline’s brave front dissolved and started sobbing into Jayne’s chest. “Sh – she’s not here. He said she’s not here.”

“Shh, shh, sshh” grumbled Jayne picking Caroline and Zoey up, carrying them over to the nearest ladderwell and sitting down. “I don’t know where your ma is.”

“I wan my ma. She said she was comin’.”

“Coming where?”

Still crying Caroline hiccupped out, almost unintelligibly “Boros, going on a trip. I ain’t never been off-world before.”

“In a box?”

“Cheaper that way.”

Jayne understood a lot more now; passage for one adult was much cheaper then passage for two people, even if one of those was a child. You did what you needed to do in order to survive. Jayne rocked Caroline and gruffly asked “Tell me about her.”

Caroline was starting to feel less frightened. This big lion of a man didn’t talk like other fancy people; and from what she could see of his wet T-shirt he didn’t dress all zang shang liu, like the other ones. Sniffing, she burrowed deeper into Jayne’s chest seeking warmth, something to warm up her bones.

“It’s going to be ok.”

“I miss my ma. She’s nice; most of the time, except when she has a spell. I don’t like it when she’s broken. She screams an’ brakes things then. Two-Snouts said she was like a race horse, fragile. He said that she was all used up and needed to be put out to pasture. Said the ‘Liance broke her.” Caroline was starting to relax a little; and starting fiddling with Zoey. She continued “I don’t like the gorram Alliance. I don’t like night, days are good. When ma has good days we go for walks in the market and make up stories and eat fruit. That’s fun. I like fruit; blueberries are my favoritest. Kaylee likes strawberries, Shepard said so.”

“I’m sure when we get back to Persephone; we’ll look for your ma. Don’t want cha worried bout her. Tell me more mei-mei. Tell me about Two-Snouts.” Jayne growled trying not to sound angry, and Caroline could feel his chest rumble like a cat when they purred. Jayne didn’t want to promise they’d find her ma; he didn’t have any hope for that.

“I don’t like Two-Snouts. He’s ma’s boss; works for Badger. He says he has a stable full of flesh. And he dresses all gorram jian jiu xiu shi with lots of smelly stuff in his hair. It looks wet all the time; and he smells bad. He gives ma ice drops keep the screaming away. Says he can’t make no money off a woman screamin’ her head off.”

Jayne figured that keeping Caroline talking was a good thing. “How ‘bout your home?”

“I like feeling you talk. You feel like a cat, all rumbly.” Said Caroline trying burrow deeper into Jayne and shifting Zoey a little. “Home, we done had lots a places we stayed. Couple, times when ma was really sick and I couldn’t take care of her I stayed at the Abbey. I like Shepards, they’re nice. Where do you live?”

“I live here.”

That caused her to straighten up “With all the fancy pants? They let you? Zhen de ma?” 

“Yep, here. They ain’t all that bad. I gots three meals a day, and my own bunk. Captain’s a fair sort a’ guy.”

“Huh, he seems like a tamade hundan.”

“Nah, he’s a good guy; just kinda different. You can trust him.” He felt her begin to relax against him again; and figured he must be saying something right. “Whole crews right nice.” He thought about Simon then added “mostly.”

Caroline was really starting to relax; and was starting to feel warm, tired, and safe. This big man, Jayne, they had called him at dinner was nice. He didn’t talk all fancy like the others, ceptin’ Kaylee, he talked kinda like her. He didn’t dress all weird either in tight pants with a stripe on them like the Captain, or prissy like the guy called Doc or Simon, or in weird looking shirts – he was normal. “Normal is good.” Caroline said out loud; but, very quietly. She heard a noise behind them on the upper floor of the big room, and tensed up, tightening her hands around Zoey, getting ready to go for her knife.

Hearing the footsteps, and realizing that it was just Kaylee; Jayne rumbled, “Don’t worry it’s just Kaylee. Can always tell the sound of her: little feet in big boots. River too.”

Looking down on what was unfolding below her; Kaylee’s heart melted. She had always known Jayne had a soft spot; but, it almost never showed itself. She didn’t want to break up the peaceful scene; but, the Cap’n had sent her to find Caroline and help her get ready for bed. Kaylee had offered to give up her bunk; Shepard had said no, it would be better if she shared a compartment with Mal. They needed to get used to each other. Shepards knew that kind of stuff. Kaylee kept watching the two of them conversing in low tones until they looked up at her. She really wished she could hear; and she really hoped Jayne wasn’t talking about Vera, guns, or sexin’ up women.

“Bao bei.” Kaylee said starting down the ladderwell. “It’s bed time, are you tired? It’s been a really big day. We’ve got a bunk all ready for you; Cap’n is puttin’ clean sheets on for you.”

Shaking her head vehemently, Caroline clutched Zoey and Jayne tighter. “No, don’ wanna go. Safe here. Warm.”

Holding her very carefully, Jayne stood up. “Come on little one, let’s go. Can’t stay here all night. Go on Kaylee, we’ll follow.”

And so they went, another train forward past the passenger quarters, med bay, common area, up the corridor, through the dining room and to the crew quarters. Kaylee stopped in front of Mal’s room which surprised Jayne; but, what the hell if the Cap wants to give up his bunk for a rug rat that’s his problem. Book had said that since Caroline was Mal’s daughter the forced physical closeness might help them develop a father daughter bond more quickly.

“Down you go. Ain’t carryin’ you down the ladder” Jayne rumbled setting Caroline down on her feet.

Looking very uncertain and nervous Caroline asked “are you coming?”

“Not sure I can.” By this time Kaylee was standing below with Mal and the Shepard. They’d made up the bunk for Caroline and rigged Kaylee’s hammock up for the Captain.

“Not going less you come.”

“Ho’ k. I’m coming, you go first.”

Caroline went down the ladderwell and waited unmoving for Jayne to come down. She was tense again, worried; clutching Zoey tightly and not liking the fact that everyone seemed to be in the room. Seeing how the number of people seemed to make Caroline tense; Book nodded at Kaylee and said “I’m going to take my leave now. Kaylee doesn’t Serenity need some checking up on?”

“Mmm…” she said looking over at Book, who gave her a meaningful stare. “Yes, good night everyone. Good night Caroline.” As they left the compartment, Caroline was climbing back into Jayne’s arms.”

“Bao bei” Mal uttered walking over to the odd couple “I brought your stuff down, your Buddha and the cross are on the shelf at the top of the bunk. That’s where you’re going to sleep tonight. Kaylee and River found you a night shirt and a toothbrush. Drawer under the bunk has your clothes in it.”

Jayne put down Caroline “Go on, go over there. I can’t stay here all night. Got my own bunk. You’re gonna be fine. Caps a good guy. You can trust him.”

Walking over to look at the things on the shelf and under the bunk Caroline just stared at them with wide eyes. It was very odd that everything was all together, neat-like, and not hidden.

Mal ran his fingers through his hair “I put them there for you. Is that ok? We’ll find someplace better for them tomorrow.”

“Are they safe?”

“Yes, everything is safe in here.” He pointed at the bunk, “You’re going to sleep there. Uhhh… I’m going to go and get Kaylee; she’ll help you get ready for bed. Ok?” Mal went to the comm box and called for Kaylee.

When Kaylee popped down the ladder and started to talk with Caroline Mal went up the ladder and sagged against the bulkhead wondering about how he was supposed to raise a child. The man from whom he usually sought counsel was a preacher, and had never had children. Ironically, the person on Serenity with the most experience with children was Jayne. Jayne, that didn’t make sense? That thought just made him sit down on the floor with his head in his hands. How could he ask counsel from Jayne? How was he going to raise a child? His daughter? He had a daughter? Qin aide wo de ma, what was next Zoë and Wash having a gorram baby? He’d have to nip that idea in the bud – but, in the morning. He was sharing his quarters with a child. What next, pets on board? Well other then Wash’s dinosaurs.

Kaylee’s head popped up in the hatch. “We’re done; Caroline is ready for a story.” She climbed all the way up; and said “Tell her a nice story, no reavers, or gun battles. Tell her something from your childhood on Shadow or Earth-That-Was. All kids like “Earth-That-Was” stories.

Mal lifted his head and hauled his weary body up, and waited for Kaylee to pass by. “Thank you. Good night.” And down the ladder he went, slowly and very apprehensively not quite sure what he was going to find or what he was going to talk about. He grabbed the chair at his desk, ducked under the hammock, and sat down. Trying to sound comforting he started “you ready to go to sleep little one? It’s been a long day.”

“Yeah.” Kaylee had told her that Mal was as scared of her as she was of him. She had Zoey tucked in with her. Holding Zoey made her think of her ma. “Do you think ma’s ok?” 

Mal reached over and touched the bed. “I’m sure she is. We’ll send a wave to Persephone tomorrow. Do you want a story?” Wash had told him to tell her a story. He didn’t want her to start screaming again. Horses he would talk about horses; she had Zoey, and she liked her so they had to be a safe subject. “My mama always told me ‘you treat your horse right, it'll do right by you.” He looked down at her and saw that she had her eyes closed. This might not be too hard he thought to himself. “Mama’s ranch was on Shadow; it’s a rim world. We had a lot of horses there. Needed ‘em to work the ranch. Some we used for riding; some of them pulled wagons, or plows such.” He looked over again and noticed that her breathing had started to even out and her grip had stopped being a complete death grip on the stuffed horse; figured that he should go on just a little more while he got ready to sleep. So he kept going as he got ready. “My favorite horse of all was a brown horse, her name was Apple; ‘cause she would eat apples right off the tree. She could run like the wind forever and ever.” He climbed awkwardly into the hammock and ended with “We had some good times Apple and me. Good night, little one.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “We’ll figure this out, you and me. Good night.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bao bei -- precious/treasure  
Chsheng xai-jiao de xiang huo -- animal f***ing bastard  
Gorram – Damn  
Jian jiu xiu shi – dandy  
Mei-mei -- Little sister  
Qin aide wo de ma – Dear mother of God  
Tamade hundan -- fucking bastard  
Xin gan/ai ren – sweetheart  
zang shang liu – filthy rich (upper class)  
Zhen de ma? -- is that true?


	5. Chapter 5

Over the next few days Caroline decided being on Serenity wasn’t too bad. The Cap’n would tell her bedtime stories always about horses. Kaylee said that the next time they were planetside for a few days they would make her a bedroom. Her very own bedroom! Cap’n said it had to be kept clean, shipshape like the rest of Serenity.

The crew’s routines went back to normal too. A new version of normal; but, normal. Kaylee still kept Serenity flying, laughed with Wash and Zoë, and made googly eyes at Simon. Simon was still an uptight trauma surgeon from the core who worried. River was -- well River; she danced her way around the ship, irritated Jayne, worried Simon, and perplexed everyone else. Inara was as always a graceful priestess who kept Mal on edge, brushed Kaylee’s hair, and calmed River. Book was still a gentling presence to most of the crew; he talked with Simon, lifted weights with Jayne, laughed with Kaylee.

The new normal was just a little different. Kaylee and River played with Caroline; Wash told her stories; and Zoë read to her, which worried Wash he still wasn’t too sure about having a baby aboard a spaceship. Inara brushed her hair along with Kaylee and Rivers; and was attempting to teach Caroline the formal tea ceremony she’d been taught when she was young; Jayne roughhoused with the little girl, to the consternation of Simon; and the preacher, he tried to calm the doctor. It was interesting how quickly she’d embedded herself into their lives.

Before Caroline came on board Serenity, Mal had always put Serenity to bed. After dinner when the crew had settled in for the night: Book with his evening meditations; Inara to her shuttle; Kaylee, Simon, River, and sometimes Wash and Zoë to the common area for quiet conversation; and Jayne to his bunk to clean weapons, or read girly magazines. Mal would walk around Serenity and check in with her. He’d make sure nothing seemed out of place or sounded wrong. 

With Caroline in the picture; their routines changed. All of their routines changed. After dinner Caroline would curl up in the common area with one of the crew who would draw with her (that was mostly Kaylee and River); or tell her stories (that was pretty much everyone). Then Kaylee, Inara, or Zoë would help her get ready for bed: showering, teeth cleaning, and a nightgown. She was wearing one of Simon’s undershirts as a nightgown; he was the smallest male on board, and had the most clothes. While Caroline was getting ready for bed Mal would make his nightly rounds of Serenity, tuck Caroline into bed and tell her a story. After she fell asleep, Mal would check in on Serenity and then often go up to the bridge and ponder the cosmos for an hour or two; or the common area doing captainy things. 

Tonight he’d told her the story of him discovering Serenity. After she fell asleep Mal went up to the bridge; he needed some alone time. Some time to ponder fatherhood. Mal worried about the little girl. Whenever anyone looked at her cross-eyed she’d bolt for a hiding spot. Skittish that was the word.

She’d gotten into the engine room once and had made a mess looking around. He’d had to have a stern talk with her then; but, Kaylee had said that nothing seemed to be missing. Caroline had gotten into a cabinet with cleaners, lubricants, chemicals – that type of stuff; seemed like a weird choice; but, he guessed she’d been exploring. He had to tell her that the bridge, engine room and medical bay were off limits unless an adult: Wash, Zoë, Book, Simon, Jayne, or Kaylee was with her. River didn’t count as a responsible adult.

Small things seemed to make Caroline rabbit. Weird noises, or people looking at her oddly or sternly or Simon looking at her at all would make her go darting off to one of her hidey holes. Caroline’s favorite spot was the hole she’d found when she emerged from her box. She had little bits of stuff stored there; things that she didn’t want anyone else to know about. Little bits of her soul ma called them; not much: a shiny rock Kaylee gave her, an origami crane from Inara, two pieces of string from Zoey’s mane; and other stuff like that.

Mal was staring at the stars wondering what to do about Caroline when he smelled jasmine tea. Turning his head slightly he saw Inara standing in the hatch. “Evenin”

“Captain.”

“Ambassador, come to enjoy the cosmos?”

“I was wondering how you were doing? You seemed a little tense this evening.”

“Caroline, I was wondering how to deal with her skittishness; and if we were ever going to hear back from Golensa. She’s been asking; and I don’t want to get her hopes up.”

“She’s scared. She’s a little girl in a new environment without her mother. She’s figuring out that you love her.” Inara paused for a moment and amended “She’s figuring out that we all love her. It’s a big change, her world going from revolving around Golensa and surviving, to being onboard Serenity surrounded by people.”

Mal nodded his agreement and went back to staring at the stars. 

Inara sat down in the other chair and joined Mal in the silence that was the black. She sipped her porcelain cup of tea in silence. The black velvet of the stars surrounded them.

“Gorramit Golensa.” Mal muttered.

Inara looked over at him; took a sip of tea, and hmmmed her assent. She recognized that Mal was worrying over Caroline, worrying over Golensa, worrying over the crew, and Serenity. He was a worrier; as much as he said he wasn’t – he cared about the people around him.

The silence sat all around them. It was a comfortable silence; the kind that envelopes you like a woolen shawl on a cold morning. Mal sat and stared out at the stars and muttered occasionally. It didn’t take a formally trained companion to tell that the Captain needed alone time so Inara stared at the stars for another few minutes enjoying the cosmos; and the time with the Captain. Too often they were bickering. She finished her cup of tea silently left him alone on the bridge.

The following day Caroline peeked out of her hiding hole in the cargo bay and darted out tripping over her feet right before she reached the stairs. Jayne who had just finished lifting weights and was heading for a shower scooped her up before she hit the floor. “Watch your feet, little one.”

“Uh huh.” Caroline didn’t look up at him; she looked down at her feet. Her feet that weren’t doing what she wanted them to.

“What ‘cha doing hiding in there?” Jayne bobbed his head in the general direction of the hole.

“Simon.”

“Yeah.” Jayne set the little girl back on her feet; and rubbed a smudge of silver stuff off her cheek. The wheeze that Simon had commented on seemed to be getting a little worse today.

Caroline found her feet; and meandered off towards her bunk. She looked about ready for a nap.

They were six days into the two week trip; Caroline had never been off planet before; how was she going to deal with being cooped up on a ship for another week? Mal worried, not too much more he could do. During the days that followed Caroline kept studiously avoiding Simon and the infirmary; the idea of getting poked and prodded terrified her. She and River played games, drew, or danced. Inara was teaching Caroline to braid River’s hair; how to serve formal tea like a lady, and she’d let them watch cartoons on the cortex. That was fun; she really liked the singing octopus. Kaylee joined them when she wasn’t busy with Serenity. River was trying to teach Caroline to dance; it was hard, especially with no real music. Caroline didn’t like the needle tracks on River’s arms. She wanted River to cover them up; they made her think of her ma. River said that was how Simon gave her medicine.

Jayne made Caroline laugh, and held her when she cried. He was her favorite person out of the whole crew, he didn’t tell her NO too much. Let her swear, as long as no one else was around. Cap’n said she wasn’t supposed to swear; and Inara would purse her lips and shake head at her when she swore. But, Inara was nice -- intimidating, all prettified, and elegant. She talked real fancy. Shepard Book was nice, he told neat stories; about whales, and people that turned to stones. He said that his God would keep her ma safe in his arms; which was real good. Wash played dinosaurs with her; but, she couldn’t go on the bridge by herself because she could hurt Serenity. Cap’n wouldn’t let her in the engine spaces unless someone was with her; which sucked because that’s where Kaylee spent most of her time. The Cap’n said Kaylee didn’t have time to watch her and work on Serenity too. Wash was funny he always told funny stories about juggling baby geese; “lip ferrets,” and other strange things.

Wash ‘s married to Zoë; which made the Cap’n unhappy. Something about ruttin’ on ships being bad for morals. Didn’t get that at all; Caroline asked Book what a morel was. He said it was a type of mushroom. What do mushrooms have to do with ships that fly in space? Who knows; but, it cemented Caroline’s opinion of Mal being slightly addled in the brain pan. 

Zoë was scary. Serious most of the time; she looked like the warrior women that she saw once at the moving picture show that Two-Snouts gave her money to go and see. They’d called her an Amazon. He’d wanted to get rid of her for some “adult” reason that Caroline wasn’t old enough to learn about yet. Stupid, just stupid. Wash called Zoë his warrior woman sometimes, other times he called her Lamby-Toes. Zoë made good soup; wife soup Wash called it. Hadn’t heard of that kind before; he said it tasted like chicken soup. The Shepards at the Abbey made chicken soup sometimes; fed it to sick people. Caroline like the soup at the Abbey.

Almost two weeks after she arrived, Caroline walked out of Inara’s shuttle after getting her hair brushed. She didn’t have too much hair yet, since the Alliance doctor had shaved her head only a few months earlier. Caroline really liked Serenity now. It was a nice ship. Riding on one was much cooler than seeing them take off and land in the docks. Serenity was safe; Jayne said so. She didn’t need to hide much now, ‘cept when people yelled or Simon started looking at her weird. He wanted to ‘xamine her; said so. Nope, that wasn’t happenin’. No how. No way.

Caroline walked down the passage going towards the common areas looking for River to see if she wanted to play jacks or cards. River and Kaylee were teaching Caroline to play War and Old Maid. River was just sitting and staring. “What cha doing?” 

“Watching. Spider is building its house.” The spider was spinning a web between two pipes up near the ceiling. 

“That ain’t its house. That’s its dinner table.” 

“House too.” 

“Huh? Where does it sleep” 

“Middle.” 

“Huh.” 

“How does it build that?” 

“It secretes the silk out glands. Different types of spiders have different types of glands for doing different things. The Glandula Aggregata produces the sticky material for the threads; the Glandula Ampulleceae major and minor are used for the silk of the walking thread; the Glandula Pyriformes is used for the production of the attaching …” 

“Huh? Whad you talkin’ bout?” 

“Spider poops out thread. 

“Zhen de ma?” 

“Yep.” 

“Gross.” 

“We could build a web.” 

“I don’t poop string.” 

River turned, now staring in horrified fascination at Caroline “No, silly; we’ll use real string. Make a big web here in the passage; see what we can catch.” 

“Dinner?” 

“Maybe. Or a person.” 

A big smile lit up Caroline’s face. “Shiny! How we going to do that.” Caroline waved her hands at the web. “Build a house? And a table?” 

“Need string; lots of string.” River got up and headed to Simon’s berth with Caroline close on her heels. They entered the berth and Caroline just watch River root through Simon’s stuff throwing things hither and yon until she came up with dental floss. Three boxes of the stuff. “Go ask Jayne if he’s got any tooth string, or regular string; I’m going to go and ask Kaylee and ‘Nara.” 

They went separate ways and met up about an hour later with twelve boxes of dental floss, three little packets of embroidery floss from Inara; four skeins of yarn, and a spool of thread from Kaylee; three rubber bands, and a ball of twine from Wash; and a spool of fishing line from Book. Jayne had contributed some wire, a box of dental floss, and six red rubber bands. Mal, they didn’t ask him – he would have said no. Caroline just rummaged through his toiletries and found a thing of dental floss. Searching the kitchen they found scissors, two big rubber bands, one small blue one and five twist ties. River had gone through the infirmary and taken a pair of scissors, stitching silk, and the sticky stuff that Simon squirted on people to hold together cuts and the like. They piled all of their goodies into their secret workspace; the empty shuttle. 

River started to explain web building to Caroline “The wind helps the spider make its web. It carries a thin adhesive thread released from her spinners while making the thread longer and longer. If she is lucky the thread sticks to a proper spot. Then she walks carefully over the thread, strengthening it with a second thread. This is repeated until the primary thread is strong enough. After this, she hangs a thread in the form of a Y below the primary thread. These are the first three radial of the web. More radials are constructed taking care that the distance between the radial is small enough to cross. Then non-sticky circular construction spirals are made. The web is completed when the adhesive spiral threads are placed. While the sticky spirals are placed the non-sticky spirals are removed. And that’s all there is to making a web.” 

For the rest of the morning; and part of the afternoon they strung string, made knots, giggled, and talked. It was mid-afternoon before River declared the web a thing of beauty, and done. It was a complicated circular maze of string with the thinnest in the center and the thick twine at the outer edges all held together by knots and a primary thread of fishing twine. 

“Now what?” Caroline asked. 

“Now we hang it up; and see what we catch.” River responded with severe gravity. “Gotta get dinner.” 

They very carefully rolled up the web and snuck out of the shuttle, concealing themselves behind the mule, being very careful that Jayne and the preacher didn’t see them and ask questions. 

“Where are we gonna’ hang it? Near the real web? How’s we gonna catch summpin in it?” 

River carefully explained as they were walking through the passageways “Real spider webs have sticky spirals on them, so that when a bug gets caught in them they stick to it. When they struggle, they get more stuck and can’t get out. Got this from the infirmary, it’s really sticky. We put it on our web and when something walks into it they’ll stick just like on a real spider web.” 

“Ok.” 

Stopping in the passageway between the upper cargo bay and the crew quarters River looked around and studiously declared “Here, here is where it goes.” With that she climbed up to the top of the passage and using it seemed like twelve hands, three legs, and a few other appendages managed to attach a corner of the web to a pipe using one of the twist ties. 

“Shiny; this is really shiny. Almost as good as hide and seek with you, Wash, Kaylee, and Jayne.” 

River nodded her head in assent and clambered up the other side and attached the rest of the top. Caroline knelt down and hooked the bottom on to the cables and pipes that ran along the passage. 

“Now we just need to make it sticky. Can I do it please River? I wanna make it sticky?” River handed Caroline the small gun and showed her where she wanted the sticky stuff. When not mixed with a water based substance (like blood) it wouldn’t harden just stay sticky. Otherwise you had to use a special dissolving agent. 

River’s eyes were darting around. “Now we gotta hide. Quiet like mice. We don’t want anyone to think we’re here.” 

“Watch? We gonna watch?” 

River pointed down the corridor; gathered up the rest of the twist ties and rubber bands. “There.” 

They scampered down the hallway giggling like children up to something and hid just around the bend. River brought out a deck of cards, and while they waited, she started trying to teach Caroline how to play war. Another uphill battle Caroline’s counting skills weren’t great. 

“Yeh soo! Ta ma duh! Niu shi! Ni ta ma de!” 

Whispering to River, Caroline excitedly asked “Who do you think we caught?” 

“Qing wa cao de liu mang! Hwoon dahn!” Echoed down the corridor, in a furious female voice. 

“Zoë. I was hoping for Jayne or Simon.” Was the whispered reply. 

“Ooh. Jayne would have been funny. What now?” 

“Run, hide. Don’t want to get caught.” River led the way into the guts of Serenity just as Wash, and Simon showed up and stared at Zoë struggling in the sticky yarn prison. They looked at her and at then at each other and dissolved into laughter. It was very funny picture; the warrior woman trapped. Trapped in a multi-colored string prison, Zoë had walked into it had fallen off the ceiling and was sticking to her hair, clothes, and shoes. 

“Lamby-Toes, how did you get caught in that, that thing?” Wash asked trying to not laugh too much at his wife. 

“I was reading and walking. I didn’t expect this thing here. Get me out.” 

“What in the gorram hell is that thing Zoë?” Yelled Mal arriving on the scene a little perturbed at having the quiet routine of the day disturbed. 

“Sir, I don’t rightly know. It appears to be some sort of net. Will someone please help me get out?” 

Laughing Wash walked over to Zoë and started to disentangle her. “Diyu, this explains why Caroline wanted my twine.” 

Book and Jayne heard the commotion floating down to the cargo bay. As soon as they walked in Jayne busted out laughing at the sight of Zoë and Wash tangled up in string. Book, was trying very hard to cover up his chuckling. With the addition of Book and Jayne laughing Mal couldn’t keep it in any longer and started laughing with them. Inara and Kaylee walked over from the galley where Inara had been making a cup of tea. 

Inara saw the laughing crew first; and then Zoë attempting to get out and Wash’s attempts to help. Wash was trying to help Zoë; but, was getting himself caught in the sticky maze of strings. The sticky stuff hardened when it touched skin, something about the oils in the skin. “Does anyone have scissors or a knife with them?” 

Jayne handed his knife to Inara in between laughing spells. “Ni ta ma de. I see my wire, and the red rubber bands are mine.” 

Inara glided over to Zoe and Wash who were by now thoroughly entangled “Stop squirming you two, or one of you is going to get cut.” And she started cutting the two love-birds apart; being careful not to touch the strings – she’d seen what happened when Wash had touched them. “You all could help instead of just standing there and laughing.” Inara looked at Jayne and added “The violet embroidery floss is mine; River came and asked for it this morning said something about weaving.” 

By the time that Inara had finished cutting Zoë and Wash apart everyone had stopped laughing. But, the sight of Zoë and Wash covered in short strings started everyone back up to laughing. “I’m glad we could provide some afternoon amusement. Now if you will excuse us, I’m going to take my wife back to our quarters and rip her clothes off. Being tied to my wife always makes me quite amorous.” 

“Not tied up; caught in a spider web.” Piped up River from somewhere behind Jayne. River and Caroline had heard the laughing and didn’t want to miss the fun; so they had circled back to the corridor. 

“Gorammit, girl. Must you sneak up on people like that.” Growled Jayne. 

“Didn’t sneak. Walked.” 

“What’s this about a web?” asked Mal looking at the string and twine remnants scattered on the floor. He looked at River and Caroline trying to look severe. “This ship is not a playpen. And I do not appreciate having it treated as such.” 

“Holes. Teaching Caroline about spiders. No school, so I’m teaching.” 

“It was really cool; Cap’n. Spiders poop silk. Webs is their home and there dinner table, and sometimes their dinner. River said so.” Caroline’s small head popped out next to River’s. 

“And you believed that addlepated crazy girl.” Growled Jayne. “Now what am I going do for dental floss?” 

“Caroline’s mostly right. They use glands to excrete silk. Jayne, I have a couple of extra boxes. Simon volunteered reluctantly, feeling it was the proper thing to as River had taken Jayne’s. 

“Nope, nope you don’t. Used it, center of the web.” Spouted River.   
Simon just shook his head. Little sisters, he thought. He hoped that they hadn’t used all of his suturing and stitching supplies. 

“A spider web?” Asked Mal, looking rather addled. “Why is there is a spider web in the middle of my ship? Teaching? Teaching who? Teaching what?” 

“Teaching Caroline; holes. Full of holes.” She looked pointedly at Mal, “No holes” and then back at Caroline “Holes need to be filled.” 

He looked sternly at Caroline and River he asked “What in the gorram diyu are you talking about? He turned and started walking towards the bridge, and finished “Teacher, student clean up the web and no more science projects in the passageways or any other part of this ship without permission. Dong ma?” 

River stared deeply at the Captain. “In the search for your destiny, you will often find yourself obliged to change direction.”

“Huh.” Mal shook his head at the addlepated response from River. “Not the answer I was looking for. Clean this up; understand?”

Caroline grabbed River’s hands; she was a little worried about Cap’n getting mad. She didn’t really know how’d he react. “Shirrah. Uh huh, Cap’n we’ll clean. We’ll clean good.”

“Good.” Mal headed up towards the bridge with Book following not too far behind. 

“Moonbrained girl.” Jayne muttered.

“It was a quote from an Earth-That-Was lyricist and novelist Paulo Coelho.” 

Jayne slitted his eyes at Inara and headed towards the aft portion of the ship with Inara close to him leaving River and Caroline to clean up the mess. Kaylee went to make dinner; it was her turn to cook. Simon went to his infirmary to see if they scavenged anything else from his sanctuary; and to get the dissolving solution to Zoë and Jayne. No one saw the look of satisfaction on River’s face; she’d successfully planted the seed of school. 

Reaching the bridge the Shepard found Mal sitting in the pilot’s chair staring out at the black. “Mal are you all right?” 

“Spider webs in the passage. What’s next? Volcanoes in the cargo bay? Diyu, their probably trying to figure out how to flood the engine room for swimming lessons? I didn’t sign up for this.” 

“Mal, you’re doing good. Children will be children. It takes time to grow into the role of having a daughter; just as she needs time to adjust to having a father.” 

“Thanks preacher.” A little sarcastically.

“Although River did have a point. Caroline should be going to school.” 

“And where are we going to find a gorram school? Ain’t seeing a little schoolhouse poppin’ up in the middle of the cargo bay. I told everyone this wasn’t a good idea. Children need more then this.” 

“Mal, everything she needs is right here. Zoë said it best all she really needs is unconditional love. Schooling we can provide. At the Abbey we taught the street children; I helped out sometimes when the teaching brothers were otherwise disposed. I can teach her reading and writing and math, Simon can teach her science, first aid, and medical stuff. Wash can teach Caroline navigation. Inara can teach her etiquette and music. River can teach her dancing, and about spiders. Everything she needs is here.” 

Mal muttered, “Great River a teacher. That’s something I never thought I’d see. Be as bad as Jayne teachin’. We’ll discuss this at dinner.” 

“Have faith Mal. You and Caroline will figure it out. Your mother did a good job of raising you. I’m sure you will do a good job raising Caroline. I’m going to leave you with your thoughts and go help Kaylee with dinner.” And he left Mal alone staring out at the black. 

Folding his hands behind his head Mal thought to himself: School probably was a good idea. Child needed to learn. Would keep her out of trouble; could keep River occupied part of the time. Wasn’t ever really sure where the two of them would pop up now, or what they would pop out of. Yesterday he’d found them crawling through air vents under the common room. What was next? Learning about something would keep the girl busy for at least part of the day. 

Routine, a routine was good. Daily routine was good. School would solve part of that problem; give her mind something to do. Now there was just the rest of the day to worry about. Mama, his mother, Caroline Reynolds had always made sure that he’d had chores. Kaylee had daily chores to do when she lived at home. Zoë, Wash, and Jayne had all had chores to do of various types also. Might make the girl feel more like she belonged was a part of the crew, a part of the family. He’d talk with Kaylee and Book and see what they felt was appropriate. Dinner they’d talk about it at dinner. 

It was about dinner time wasn’t it? Stretching Mal got up and took one last look out at the black. He snapped his suspenders back up onto his shoulders and headed down to the galley to see if he could find Kaylee and the Shepard. 

When he reached the kitchen he found Simon setting the table, Inara and Kaylee were sitting in the common area. Inara was brushing Kaylee’s hair. Shepard Book was doing what appeared to be the finishing touches a meal that looked suspiciously like molded protein. It was a very domestic scene.

“Almost out of fresh vegetables; a little here and there left.” Book’s told Mal as he was spicing the mysterious concoction that was to be dinner. 

“Smells good. I was thinkin’. Girl’s here to stay for a while. Needs a routine, it’ll be good for her.” 

Inara was a little suspicious about the Captain’s thinkin’ it didn’t always turn out good for anyone. “What are you thinking of?” 

He sat down at the table and replied “Schooling, girl needs schooling. And probably some type of chores. It’ll make her feel more like a part of the crew. Keep her occupied and out of trouble. Don’t want more spider webs in the passages, volcanoes in the cargo bay, or swimming lessons in the engine room” 

“Swimming lessons in the engine room?” Sputtered Kaylee laughing and choking. 

“Or some such thing. Shepard, will you and Simon teach her in the mornings?” 

“That’s probably the best time to do it; after breakfast. We can start tomorrow; have you talked with Caroline about this?” Book said thoughtfully.

“Nope, was going to do that at dinner.” Mal responded with a sideways glance at Wash and Zoë who had just come in to the galley. 

“Thought I smelled something good. Shepard, what is it?” asked Wash trying to see if he could snag a taste. 

“Curry. Should be good.” 

Inara and Kaylee walked over from their corner to the table and sat down. Kaylee added her bit into the conversation “Chores would be good for her; she could set and clear the table.” 

“Faster, faster, faster.” Echoed down the passage, accompanied by the sound of stomping feet. “Go faster River.” 

“You say giddy-up to a horse.” 

“If one of you falls and breaks your face I won’t fix it.” Bellowed Mal looking at the still empty door. 

Slightly out of breath Caroline appeared in the door right behind River. “Didn’t fall. We were being horses.” The littlest crew member piped up. 

“And next it’s volcanoes” muttered Mal to himself. “Well someone go get Jayne; it looks like dinners about ready. River.”

“Caroline, bao bei, did you wash your hands?” Kaylee asked looking at Caroline who had a piece of blue rubber-band still glued to her hair, and grease stains on her arms, legs, and face. 

“Yep.” 

Mal narrowed his eyes and looked at the grungy child. “When?” 

Caroline looked down at her hands, and then her bare feet, “a little while ago.” She hadn’t worn shoes since they’d found her; because, hers were really ragged and River didn’t wear shoes when she didn’t want to. 

“Go wash em again; and your face.” Mal said, taking a second look at the large grease stains covering Caroline’s face, waving his arm in the direction of crew berthing. Caroline slouched out, about as happy with the washing business as Jayne. When Caroline got back most everything was on the table and the usual loud hum that accompanied dinner was in full force. Shepard Book put the curry on the table with an authoritative plunk; and everyone that weren’t sitting scrambled for their usual seats. 

Wash had made Caroline a box that sat on top of her chair so she was tall enough to sit at the table. Her first meal on Serenity; Shepard Book had her sit between the Captain; and Inara. He’d said something about her and him havin’ to get used to each other. Caroline didn’t really like sittin’ there; she’d a rather sat down by River, Jayne and Kaylee. ‘Nara and Simon was always correcting the way she ate. Made it gorram hard to make it through a whole meal. 

Mal was watching Caroline and everyone else eat. The enthusiasm for the meal went down as everyone realized that it was molded protein; even though this was one of the better presentations. How did he bring up the school thing? And the chore thing? Gently? Brusquely? Diyu; better to just tell her and be done with it. Although, the chore thing could wait until tonight, that might be easier without the whole crew around. “Caroline, you and Shepard Book are going to start school tomorrow. Tomorrow morning after breakfast is cleared away.” 

She looked up from pushing her protein around “Huh? School? I don’t go to school.” 

‘Tomorrow you start. Shepard Book is going to teach you reading, writing, and numbers.” 

“Ain’ goin’ to no school. School is for ni ta ma de purple bellies; that’s what ma always said. Fancy pants. I ain’t no fancy pants.” 

“No you ain’t; but, you aren’t going to be an ignoramus. You’re going to learn.” 

“Captain, if I might interject.” Book inserted looking from Mal to Caroline and seeing identical facial expressions, and jaw lines. Both set stubbornly. “Caroline; you aren’t going to leave Serenity, we going to read and write here. Here at this table.” 

“Golly, it’s like Mal and Mini-Mal.” Wash interjected looking at the two glaring parties. “Ow, Lamby-Toes why did you kick me?” 

“I ain’t like them.” Caroline yelped; and knocked her chair over, the booster hitting Mal in the shin, and running from the room. 

“Hwoon dahn, can’t we have one peacable meal without someone getting all addlepated?” Growled Jayne slurping up the last of his curry.

River was staring intently at Mal as he was running his fingers through his hair in utter frustration. “Holes need to fill the holes.” 

Mal pushed back his chair; “Diyu. I’m going to go find her and talk to her.” He headed out of the corridor towards crew berthing; figuring that Caroline would have gone diving for that gorram raggedy stuffed horse. He supposed she was getting more comfortable around everyone; because, she didn’t take it everywhere with her anymore. But, whenever she felt threatened she’d go diving for the horse and some little hidey hole. The trick was getting to her before she reached a hiding spot.

He was just about to head down into their shared quarters when Caroline popped up the ladderwell clutching Zoey heading somewhere. Somewhere fast. He reached down and grabbed hold of her by the waist. “Slow down, little one.” 

“Qing wa cao de liu mang. Frog humping son of a bitch let go of me!” 

“Nope, not until you calm down. Ain’t no need for that kind of language.” 

“Go away! Leave me alone. I ain’t goin’ to no school. Don’t want to talk to you, want Jayne. He’s nice.” As she hit him repeatedly with the horse. 

“Caroline.” Mal said trying to hold her still, and attempting not to let his temper get the best of him. “Calm down. You are going to learn. I am your father and I don’t want you to be an ignoramus. And I’m sure your ma wouldn’t want that either.” 

“You ain’ my ba’.” Caroline answered squirming until she got purchase and bit him on the arm. Mal’s response to the bite was a shake and swat to the back of her head. “Ow!! 

“Do something like that again; and you won’t be sitting comfortably for the rest of the night. Dong ma? You are going to learn; it’s not going to be going to a school house. It’s going to be you and the Shepard or Simon in the galley at the dining table. When you get a little older Wash and Kaylee ‘ll teach you about engines and ships and flying.”

Caroline’s eyes narrowed suspiciously; but, she calmed down. “Ma said that school was a tool of the Alliance. Look what it did to River. School ain’t good.” 

“Well, there ain’t no Alliance here. And your ma, Zoë, and me fought the Alliance together; so we ain’t exactly friendly towards them. So I figure this school will be ok with your ma. Ok?” 

Sullenly she responded. “Yes, Sir.” 

“Good. Look, I know you didn’t ask to come here. But, you’re here. We’re glad you’re here.” Mal, thought about what Book had told him about reassuring Caroline and added “I’m glad you’re here. You’re a part of this crew. It takes a lot to keep Serenity in the air, takes effort from everyone on this boat. That includes you bao bei.

Now go apologize to everyone in the galley for disturbing dinner and help Simon with clean up. That’s going to be your job from now on. Clearing the table after meals; and setting it before meals. You’re a part of this crew, which means you gotta’ help keep Serenity running smooth.” 

Caroline stood up; holding Zoey; and told Mal still very sullenly “Yes, Sir.” That’s what her ma had always told to call older people when they were talking to her. Sir or Ma’am. She drilled it into Caroline with some well placed smacks to the back of the head. And she went to help clear the table; and to apologize. 

Mal went down into their shared berthing and sat at his desk. Another hurdle cleared. How many more were there going to be? Had he been this hard on his mother? He thought back to his childhood; and smiled thinking of some the escapades they’d gotten into. He and the Clarke brothers had gotten into an egg fight one morning when Ma had sent them to gather eggs. She’d whupped all three of them for that; none of them sat right for a couple of days. But that first egg exploding right on Hyde’s forehead made it all worth while. At least he hadn’t gotten whupped again like Hyde and Thomas had – their da had taken them out behind the woodshed when they’d gotten home. 

They’d be landing on Hillard in a couple of days. He’d have to get Kaylee or ‘Nara to take Caroline shopping. Girl needed shoes, and some clothes. And probably some   
schoolbooks, or some such stuff. Oh, yeah and he needed a book on being a parent, a father. What was the one mom had? Dr. Speck, Spock? Something like that.


	6. Shopping with a Woman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I imagined the shopping trip as happening in a dusty western U.S. town. A city large enough to have a dock area, then a transient market area kind of like a flea market or a farmers market which abuts a couple of streets of permanent stores. Streets that look like those in “The Good the Bad and the Ugly” or “Magnificent Seven” (the TV series).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shout out to Gaben for being my ever patient beta. And all the translations are at the end.

Mal was used to women; he was comfortable with them; they surrounded him on a daily basis. Serenity; the first mate, the mechanic; the Companion; and a teenage psychic. They surrounded him all the time; butting into his life and his affairs; but, not a one of them was a willing to go shopping with him and Caroline. No one was willing to go with him. Book was having lunch with some brothers that he had known while he was at the Abbey and trying to see if he could beg or borrow some textbooks. Wash had zipped Zoë off somewhere so fast it made Mal’s head spin; something about a bathtub. Simon and River were off with Kaylee looking for something for the engine and then going to get bedroom stuff with which to surprise Caroline. Jayne had been muttering something about grenades, booze, and sex; but, was just going to pick up some essentials and then help Kaylee and River with construction. And Inara, she’d left when they entered atmo, a client. Although she had made most of the bedding. She’d even used what was left of her silk thread to embroider Caroline’s name onto the pillow and blankets.

Mal was standing outside the cargo bay squinting against the Hillard sun holding the hand of a small girl in a rather dirty jumper. She was clutching a ragged horse that missing a leg. Anyone that would have looked at them would have seen a father and daughter out for a day in the town. For Mal it was something he never thought he would see – him being a father. He took one last look at the list that Kaylee and Inara had prepared before putting it in his overcoat:

Caroline (Dress (?), Overalls, Sweater, Shirts, Under garments, Socks, & Shoes)

Pants (Mal really needed a pair or two; he was down to one pair without holes, tears, or blood on them). He’d added this, and the next item to the list.

Book!

“Well, little one. Lets go shopping? Gots lots of stuff to get today. Gotta get you some clothes.”

“Yep.” Caroline, holding Zoey under one arm and Mal’s hand with her right hand, looked out at the bustling dusty marketplace and thought that Hilliard didn’t look much different then Persephone. Lots of people going lots of places and lots of dust. Caroline was really excited Kaylee had said that the Cap’n was going to take her shopping for new clothes. She’d never had new clothes. Mostly her stuff had come from the Abbey; they gave used clothes to all the street children. When the ‘liance had taken her from her ma; they’d given her new clothes; but, ma made her throw them away. Said they was tainted. Dirty. Sumppin’ like that.

They walked through the marketplace, past the ships seeking passengers and cargo, past all kinds of stalls with all kinds of goods. Rug vendors, candle and incense vendors, vegetable vendors, and all other type vendors – Caroline saw blueberries, strawberries, apples, and lots of things she’d never seen before in all kinds of colors. They turned out of the market area, and into an area of permanent store fronts. There were lots of things in the window, all kinds of writing. Book had been teaching Caroline letters and words every morning. As they wound there way down the street she picked out letters; K, is for Kaylee, J is for Jayne, D is for dinosaur. She knew all the letters now; Shepard Book was teaching her words and writing and numbers too. They finally stopped in front a store that had big pink letters painted on the glass window.

“C, is for Caroline.” Said Caroline as she bumped into Mal; she hadn’t realized they were going to stop and it startled her.

“Yep. Gotta get you sumpin’ decent to wear. Figured this is the best place; lest that’s what ‘Nara says.” He held open the door for Caroline and they both entered “Mrs. Larsson’s Fine Young Ladies Clothing.” Mal cringed upon entering this palace of pink and pastels and floral prints. It seemed every surface that could be covered was covered with pink ruffles, or lace trim, or flowers. Could this place get any worse? He was going to kill ‘Nara for suggesting this particular store. He was about to suggest that they go someplace else when he looked down and saw Caroline’s face. She appeared to be completely in awe and in love with the pink surroundings. Zoey was just dangling from her hand forgotten. Mal reached down and gently took the horse; Caroline didn’t even notice. He cringed again; internally this time when he saw Mrs. Larsson, at least he assumed she was Mrs. Larsson. She was an older lady dressed entirely in pink; with white hair curled up close to her head. A pink floral dress, pink slippers, pink hair bow, and a pink striped apron that said Mrs. Larsson’s across the pocket.

“Ni hao. I am Mrs. Larsson; can I help you? 

“Uh, qu. I need some clothes for my daughter, Caroline.” He said pointing at Caroline. Mal was internally cringing at how Mrs. Larsson fluttered. 

With a look at Caroline who was gazing in wonderment and walking around the room Mrs. Larsson asked “Anything in particular, Xiān sheng?”

Feeling more and more uncomfortable in this palace of pre-adolescent femininity and frippery Mal pulled out the list and mutely handed it to Mrs. Larsson. “Not so sure ‘bout her needin’ a dress though.”

“Ahh, I see you need some of everything. You have come to the right place. Do you have any particular needs for certain types of clothing?”

“Ummm… sturdy; Caroline tends to get into a lot of things.”

“I see, an active child. You sit there.” Responded Mrs. Larsson pointing at a delicate slipper chair covered in pink silk. “I will work with Caroline.” Mal obediently sat. Mrs. Larsson walked over to Caroline and looked down at her, although not very far; because she was very, very petite. “Xin gan; I am Mrs. Larsson and I’m going to help you find some clothes.”

Caroline just nodded; her eyes were still wide. She’d never been in a store like this, only looked in the windows.

“Your ba’ is sitting over there. We are going to start at the inside and work out. Ok, Xin gan?”

Caroline looked over at where Mal sat and just nodded; she was totally overwhelmed by the store. Mrs. Larsson walked over to an ornate white-washed dresser; she opened the top drawer and pulled out neatly wrapped packages of under garments. “Which prints do you like? Horses, fairies, teddy bears, flowers?”

“I like the yellow flowers.” Caroline whispered. “Kaylee painted some like that on the dining room.”

Well, everything seemed to be going ok, Mal thought, no tantrums or such. That was good. Real good. Gave him a few minutes to his thoughts. Last couple of weeks, everyone’s world had turned upside down. It had been rough on all of them. Probably physically roughest on Simon. Boy was walking around with a black eye. It was pretty funny though; a fifty pound girl beating the gao-se out of the doc. Maybe this week would be smoother.

It had happened a couple days after the whole spider-web incident. Caroline and the Shepard had finished with their lessons; and her and River were drawing in the common area. They were using paper as their canvas’ too; not the walls or the floor, which was a miracle unto itself. Simon had cornered him and told him that he really thought Caroline should have a physical; her wheeze didn’t seem to be getting much better. And she’d been living mostly on the streets of Persephone which had exposed her to tyen shiao duh. They’d tried a couple of other times to get Caroline to let the Doc check her out; but, she turned into a little hell cat every time he tried to get near her.

_“Ok, go get Kaylee, she should be able to help calm the little one down. I’ll go get her horse. Let’s do this, get it over.” Mal told Simon and they both departed. Zoey seemed to make Caroline feel safe; it acted as an anchor in the upheaval that had been her life recently. Mal went and got stuffed horse, and came back through the common area. “Bao bei, come on.”_

_Caroline looked up from her picture, it appeared to a horse and a building of some sort. “Huh. Weishenme?”_

_“Gotta go see the doc.” As soon as he had said the word “doc” Caroline had gone into flight mode. She went for the door leading to the cargo bay. Mal had grabbed her by the head and hair; it was the only thing he could reach. Quickly grabbing her by the waist instead, and threw her over his shoulder into a fireman’s carry; trying not to hurt her. Army boot camp learning coming in handy._

_Pain and not going anywhere near the infirmary were Caroline’s two primary aims. “Tamade hundan! Fucking Bastard!_

_Tsao ni zuzong shiba dai! Fuck eighteen generations of your ancestors! In between the creative cussing, she had managed to get in a couple of good bites, actually drew blood. For a little girl she cussed better than most soldiers! _

Sitting in the pink chair Mal shifted around moved his shoulder and winced as he felt the scabbing over the bite mark stretch. And he sank back into his thoughts and memory.

_“Taint no need for language like that round here, little one.” Mal said putting Caroline down on the exam table in the infirmary, and swatting her not so lightly upside the head. “What did I say about biting?”_

_“Ain’t getting’ stuck, and bled by no swai doc. Ain’t happenin’.”_

_Mal had hoped that humor was the right tack to take out of this situation. “Handsome doc, she called you handsome.”_

_“Well, I’m not sure that I wouldn’t disagree with that.” Added Kaylee walking in the door of the infirmary; with Inara. “Xialia, bao bei, relax. Ain’t no one goin’ to hurt you.” Kaylee walked over and gave Caroline a hug. “It’s going to be ok.”_

_Inara walked over to the wall where Mal was standing. “I’m just here to provide moral support.” She didn’t specify to whom she was going to provide support._

_“No, tain’t that chsheng xai-jiao de xiang huo doctor ain’t touching me! Ouch!” Yelped Caroline as Mal stood up from his position against the wall smacked the back of her head, not so gently this time._

_“Caroline, I hear words like that again comin’ outta your mouth. You ain’t going to be sittin’ down for a month. Dong ma?” Barked Mal. _

_“Don’ wan no ruttin’ doc poking me.”_

_“Shh… Hhoney, it’s going to be okay. Simon just wants to make sure that you’re all healthy-like.” Kaylee added soothingly._

_“He sticks needles in River. Hurts her. Makes her cry.”_

_Simon jumped into the conversation “I’m just trying to make her better.”_

_“Ain’t doin’ nothing; but, causing pain. That don’ make no one better.”_

_Simon had no answer for that; so he reverted to Doctor. “Open your mouth; I want to take a quick look inside.”_

_It wasn’t getting stuck, so grudgingly Caroline opened her mouth after only one stern look from Mal. Without the facilities of a hospital Simon had to conduct the physical in a very primitive fashion – rim style. He actually had to poke and prod at Caroline, no nifty diagnostic tools. She was a little short and underweight for her age, needed to see a dentist; but, was pretty healthy overall. A slight wheeze in her lungs meant nothing much, just something to keep a watch on._

_“Ok Caroline, last thing. You’ve been really good so far.” Simon said turning around and reaching into one of the drawers he drew out a small handful of things and a couple of vials. “I just need a blood sample.”_

_“Ain’ no doctor stickin’ at me with no needles.”_

_“Calm down bao bei, it’s going to be ok. Xialia. Relax.” Whispered Kaylee as Simon turned back around. Mal stood up again ready to intervene if the situation called for it. Inara shifted towards Caroline maternally uttering calming cooing sounds._

_Caroline was ready for Simon as he came prepared to stick her. She had Zoey clutched in her right arm; and left fly with her left. BAM, right into the side of Simon’s nose. The infirmary erupted into mass of tangled arms and legs. Caroline slid off the exam table and was trying to get away. Kaylee was trying to hold onto Caroline and go around the table to comfort Simon. Mal was trying to reach for a fighting Caroline through Kaylee and see to Simon at the same time, and Inara was trying to calm everyone down. _

_“Píng xī! Quiet everyone!” roared Mal, sounding like a raging bull. “Kaylee, Inara see to Simon.” Caroline, come here. Now!” He pointed at his feet._

_Inara and Kaylee were attempting to help Simon stop his nose from bleeding; and were making a bigger mess of it then if they hadn’t done anything. Caroline saw the look in Mal’s eyes and recognized defeat – she went and stood where he’d pointed; hanging her head and holding a very droopy Zoey. Mal took Caroline by the shoulder and forcibly led her out the door. Just then Jayne poked his head around the door._

_“What’s all the ruckus?”_

_Inara looked up at Jayne “A slight altercation between Caroline and Simon.”_

_“Huh, she didn’t want no swai doc pokin’ at her. Smart kid.”_

_“She didn’t want him takin’ blood.” Kaylee added in glancing up at Jayne._

_“So mini-Mal beat the gao-se out of the doc, now that’s funny!” Jayne started chuckling as he went off to find the rest of the crew and spread the news. He found it infinitely funnier then when River had kicked him in the nether regions. _

“Xiān sheng, Sir.” Mrs. Larsson asked, breaking Mal’s reverie “Shoes, do you have any preferences of the style?” As she held up a pair of brown sturdy combat style boots, and some pink sandals. 

“Boots, more practical on a cargo ship then those fou-fou things.” Mal responded gesturing at the boots. The boots looked a lot like the ones River wore.

“Just a little longer, and you can both be on your way.” Mrs. Larsson said sensing Mal’s discomfort in this feminine sanctuary; she turned her attention back to Caroline and the racks of clothing.

Mal slipped quickly back into his thoughts and wondered about how Kaylee and Jayne were doing on the whole bedroom construction thing. Then his mind wandered back to the whole infirmary fiasco. Did he do the right thing spanking her? It’s what his mother would have done. Simon had been horrified by the fact he had hit her. Kaylee and Jayne had looked at Simon like he’d been from another ‘verse. River had said something about “Different place, different planet, different parent. No holes. Good.” Mal took that to mean that he had done the right thing; it was odd that it had taken Jayne and River’s acknowledgement to make him feel any better. Hearing Caroline cry had been so hard; he’d just held her afterwards. And rocked her; and told her that he loved her. Of course that was before the lecture that if she ever did anything like that again he would take a belt to her backside.

Book, not Shepard Book, a text, he really needed to get a book on parenting. That was going to be the next stop, a bookstore. Well, after the stop at his tailor.

Mal opened his eyes again and saw a stack of clothing on the table. And he saw Caroline with a huge smile on her face staring at her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing light brown overalls, the same color as his pants; they even had a stripe on the side. Had some pink girly shirt under it and holding a sweater of some sort. If overalls made her happy; she was going to go nuts over the bedroom!

It looked like they were done picking out clothes. “Got everythin’ little one? Mrs. Larsson?”

Mrs. Larsson looked down at Caroline. “I think we do. Two pairs of brown overalls; one with a brown stripe just like her Ba’s. Five shirts, different colors and designs, one zip up sweater in bright pink, a coat with flowers on it, a dress in blue overall style with pink and yellow flowers on the bib, socks, tights, underwear, brown combat style boots, and dress shoes in black patent leather. Do you need anything else?”

Mal looked around helplessly “Uh, uh, uh…”

“Hair ribbons, a purse, watch, …” And she let her words trail off as she packaged everything up.

He looked at the pile of clothes and decided that he’d spent enough of his hard-earned credits in one place. “Mmm, I think we got everything. Xie xie ni.”

“Thank you, Xiān sheng.” 

“Thank you, Mrs. Le.” Caroline added in. Mal looked down at her in complete surprise he hadn’t thought that she had any manners at all. Mrs. Le held the door open of her shop and smiled at the two of them as they left.

“Ok, little one. You want me to carry that? It’s pretty big.”

“Nope. Got it.”

“Ok, Let’s go run the rest of this list down. Next stop tailor.”

“Ok.”

They walked the short distance to the tailor. Mal was hoping that his pants were done. Gong had made him pants before; and he hadn’t changed sizes since then. Shi Gong ning, the young proprietress, glided up to the counter, much like Inara did, when they entered. She greeted them “Mr. Mal, you’re back. It’s been a while.” Gong (her given name) looked down at Caroline, “And who is this? My name is Gong. Would you like a candy?”

Caroline looked up at the woman in surprise; with the looks that Gong had been giving Mal Caroline wasn’t expecting her to be nice. “Qu, I would.”

Gong reached under the counter and came up a handful of brightly wrapped rice candies which she handed to Caroline. “Sit there short one; I am going to take your Ba’ back and do a final fitting on his trousers. Ok?”

Caroline nodded, sat down with Zoey and all of the packages around her and started opening the first rice candy. “Qu. Xie xie ni. Thank you.”

Mal went into the back with Gong; still amazed at the manners that this child seemed to have at times. Inara was having an impact; or else Golensa had managed to instill some courtesies in the child. He left Caroline sitting down in the front of the shop and headed to the back to try on his new pants.

Caroline sat in the chair at the front of the store holding Zoey, and eating sweet rice candies and thinking that maybe Mal could be her ba’. Jayne had said so; that meant something. Said she looked like the Cap; and kids were supposed to look like their parents. 

Cap’n had whupped her yesterday. She’d told Jayne about it. Jayne had looked at her and said: “If you was growin’ up with me; ma woulda’ takin a belt to yer backside; not her hand. Ya can’t go ‘round hurtin’ people like that; bitin’ ain’t good.” But, he had given her a hug; told her to stand up till dinner. It wasn’t fair, everyone got to tell her what to do; but, the new clothes were real shiny. And Kaylee had promised her a surprise when they got back on board this afternoon. And she didn’t have to stay inside today and practice writin’ her letters and words. Book was gone visitin’. It’s a good day; a real good day.

Why hadn’t her ma told her that her ba’ was alive? Didn’t make no sense. Ma had told her most things. Told her ‘bout the war. The ‘liance, and their camps afterwards. Told her bout Mal, and Zoë. Lots, about them. Why didn’t she say that he was her ba’? 

Caroline was carefully putting the last of the pretty candy wrappers in her sweater pocket when Mal and Gong came out of the back. He was carrying a neatly wrapped package. Caroline was saving the wrappers, ‘Nara had made her a paper crane a few days ago; and these papers would make pretty cranes.

“Xie xie ni, Gong. I hope that we see you again next time we’re here.”

“Thank you, Mr. Mal. Have a good day. Good bye little one!” As they got ready to leave Gong slipped a folded piece of paper into the package of pants.

Mal added the package containing two pairs of pants to the growing stack; and they headed out with a final good by for Shi Gong ning. He was now carrying both packages of clothing; Caroline was carrying Zoey. “One more stop before lunch. The bookstore.”

Caroline just looked up at him and nodded tucking Zoey under her arm as they headed down the main shopping street of Hilliard. She pointed at a vendor selling stuff on a stick off of his cart. “What’s that? They didn’t have that on ‘Sephone?” 

Mal looked over “Molded protein on a stick. Prolly not very good.”

“Ma wouldn’t let us eat protein; said it was ‘Liance food. I’m real good at stealin’ from the market. Said it was going to wash us. I thought washing was good? Kaylee and ‘Nara sure think so. They always make me wash.”

“I think your ma was talking ‘bout brain washin. That ain’t good. Means you don’t got your own thoughts; just theirs.” Mal turned pensive as he thought about what Caroline had just said. Golensa would rather her daughter go hungry or turn into a thief instead of eating Alliance food, they musta’ really done a gorram job on her. Tamade hundans. “Ok, little one; here’s the book store. Tintagel. I need a book; and we should see if they’ve got one you like.”

Caroline opened the door to the small and crowded shop. A bell cheerfully jingled a welcome. It was a stereotypical used bookstore; right down to the cat sitting on top of a stack of books. There was an older gentleman sitting deep in the shadows smoking a pipe; and drinking a cup of tea. In a deep leathery voice that sounded like the covers of a lot of his books he asked the pair “Can ah hep you?” 

Mal looked around, realized he wasn’t going to find anything in here by himself “I uh, need a book on parenting.”

“Got a few of those. Over the- ah.” He waved his hand in the general direction of a shelf. “Down on the bottom.” Caroline had walked over to the children’s section. Probably the only well marked area of the whole store. Someone had put a rocking horse in front of it. Mal set the packages down on the floor and walked over to where the man had waved. “Dr. Spock is always a popular choice; the 128th edition of his book on school age kids is on sale. Half off.”

Mal found the volume, slightly dusty and dog-eared; he opened and flipped through it quickly. It seemed like a good choice. “Little one, did you find something?”

“I want this one.” Caroline said holding up a really old book with only one cover. Mal looked at it apprehensively. “It’s got nice pictures, girl looks like ‘Nara.”

“Good choice.” Said the old man. “King Arth-ah and the Knights of the Round Table. It’s one of mah favorites. You may have it gōng zhǔ.”

Mal looked down at Caroline, not sure if she was going to remember her manners. Again she surprised him; her whole face was lit up. “Thank you, Xiān sheng. It’s my first book.” 

It hit him just then; at how little Caroline had. “Thank you, sir.” Mal paid for Dr. Spock and his advice. He really hoped it would help him!

Mal and Caroline wound their way through the streets until they reached a small noodle house for lunch. They talked while they ate. Mal thought they were making progress. Caroline seemed to be opening up to him. They talked about nothing at all, and everything. After they finished they walked back to Serenity. “You goin’ grocery shoppin’ with me later?”

“Do I got to do lessons today?”

“Should, gotta see if the Shepard’s back. Or are you doing numbers with Simon?”

Caroline just shrugged and they walked the rest of the way back in companionable silence. Both of them lost in their own thoughts. Mal was wondering if Kaylee, River and Jayne had finished construction and if he would have his bunk back. Thoughts about how well his little girl had dealt with two weeks in space. When would the next bump in this road of parenthood was going occur? Why hadn’t they heard anything about Golensa. His thoughts wandered on to business: How would the meet he and Zoë had set up for tomorrow afternoon with Lou Hiao tong go? Gong had given him a paper with the time and place on it. They’d only done business together a few times. Some dangerous stuff, high paying; but, dangerous. 

What was he going to tell Caroline? Yeah, your ba’ he’s a crook, a smuggler. Gao-se. A whole new wrinkle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ba’ – Father  
Bao bei -- precious/treasure  
Chsheng xai-jiao de xiang huo -- animal fucking bastard;  
Gao-se -- Crap  
Gōng zhǔ -- Princess  
Ni hao – Hello  
Píng xī – Quiet (as in settling a dispute)  
Qu -- Yes (lit. go)  
Swai -- Handsome  
Tamade hundan -- fucking bastard  
Tsao ni zuzong shiba dai -- Fuck eighteen generations of your ancestors  
Tyen shiao duh -- God knows what  
Weishenme – why  
Xialia - relax  
Xiān sheng – Sir/Mr/Teacher  
Xie xie ni -- thank you  
Xin gan -- Sweetheart


	7. A Wrinkle In TIme

A couple days after the shopping trip the usual breakfast war was going on. “I ain’t eatin’ that!”

“Caroline, that’s breakfast. You don’t got much choice. What’s the Cap’n goin’ ta say?”

“Still ain’t eatin’ that.” Caroline responded to Kaylee pushing the protein porridge away. “It’s gross. Tastes like niu shi. An food taint that color. Ain’t natural, foods not grey. Only Alliance food is that color.”

Jayne looked up from sluping up his second bowl of mush. “I ’gree with mini-Mal; but, its food. Better then goin’ hungry.”

Caroline stuck her spoon in the bowl and pulled it back out watching the grey stuff slide off it in clumps. “I’ll go hungry then.”

“Xin gan, Cap’n said if’fn you didn’t eat it for breakfast you was eating it for lunch.” Kaylee said almost begging Caroline to eat. It had become the morning fight, the porridge. Simon had finally managed to get a blood sample and discovered that Caroline had never had any vaccinations. The protein the porridge was made out of had the vaccines, vitamins, and minerals that the little girl was missing. Golensa had been so paranoid about the Alliance that Caroline had none of the vaccinations that a “normal” seven year old would have. And with her being so terrified of medical establishment this would be the easiest way to get all that stuff into her system. Medical establishment was the term Simon had used. Even given the sheer number of shots she needed was a lot. Kaylee really wasn’t too sure that this was easier than a needle or ten. Simon said he didn’t even have all the vaccinations and the protein porridge had them all in there – Caroline just needed to eat the stuff every day. 

“Nope. Ain’t eatin’ it.” The set of Caroline’s eyes and chin made Kaylee and Jayne both think of Mal when he set his mind on something.

As a last ditch effort Kaylee tried a new tactic “Ya don’t eat it, Simon’s going to poke ya with needles. This has the stuff in it you need. I know how much you like being poked.”

Mal walked into the dining room looking a little grumpy. “Jayne, you just about done eatin’ us outta house and home? I need some help gettin’ ready for the meet.” He looked down at Caroline who had pulled the bowl back towards her, when she saw him enter the room, and was playing with her spoon. “Little one, don’t you go given’ Kaylee no problems ‘bout eatin’ breakfast, now, ya hear?” He leaned over and whispered conspiratorially in her ear “Stuff gets grosser when it gets cold.” It was nice not to have to be the bad guy for once. He’d have to thank Kaylee. Mal walked over to the coffeepot, and refilled his mug. It smelled like Zoë had made it. She made the best coffee on Serenity. “Me, Zoë, and Jayne ‘ll be back later. Caroline, don’ chu go given’ no one no trouble, no how. Do good on your lesson with Simon this morning.” He walked over to Caroline, kissed her on the head on his way back to the cargo bay. “I love you, little one. We’ll be back soon.” Dr. Spock had said that he needed to show affection both physically and verbally so Mal was making an extra effort. He wanted her to know that she was loved, wanted, and needed.

“You goin’ thieving?” Caroline asked Mal’s back while playing with the porridge.

Mal’s back stiffened right up, he stopped in his tracks and almost dropped the mug of coffee. Niu shi. He thought to himself, he was hopin’to put off this discussion for a while. 

Luckily Kaylee jumped into the conversation before Mal could respond. “Nope, he’s goin’ to go and get us work. Needa eat, needa work. Right Cap?”

“Yep.” Bullet avoided for the moment he thought and started moving again. “Jayne, ma shong. Get a move on. Don’ want to be late.”

Kaylee tried to distract Caroline from the topic of thieving. “What cha learnin’ today?”

Jayne snickered on the way out of the mess. “Prolly sumpin useless. Like how to be a fancy pants. Should be learnin’ useful stuff like how to use your knife and the sech.”

“Ignore him, Caroline. I bet you’re going to learn all kinds of interesting things.”

“Numbers, Doc said numbers, ‘cause Shepard Book stayed at the Abbey last night. Do I really gotta eat this?” Caroline whined, trying to look pathetic and ended up just looking petulant. She considered Jayne’s statement for a second “Ooh, will you teach me; Jayne? Please, please!”

Jayne looked over “Uh yeah; I spose.” He hadn’t really thought about it. Would the Cap’n kill him for that? “Ya gotta ask the Cap’n”

“Yep, ya gotta eat it.” Kaylee tried to look stern. “Don’t ask again. Or I’ll tell the Cap’n. I swear.”

“Tell him what?” Asked Wash wandering in for his usual Zoë-is-gone-on-a-meet chat with Kaylee.

“That she doesn’t want to eat her breakfast.”

“I see,” said Wash looking down at the bowl and trying to look very wise stroking an imaginary beard. “I see said the Wiseman. How do we fix that muck?”

“Make it go away? Turn it into toast and jam? I like toast and jam.” 

“Hmmm… Let me think. No toast; but, I have a little jam. A spoonful of jam should make it taste better.” Wash opened one of the storage containers and pulled out a little jar of jam. He put one precious spoonful on top. “Mix it in; and it’ll taste better. Tell no one.” And he let his eyes wander around the room making exaggerated eye movements like there might be spies in the walls – and more to the point making both Caroline and Kaylee laugh. “Shh… a secret.”

Mal posted Jayne and Vera about a mile away on the top of an abandoned quarry tower. Impossible shot for all; but, the most experienced. For Jayne it was a rather routine shot, he’d done harder shots without a scope huntin’ back home, nuthin’ but, a set of open sights. “Keep a look out.”

“Yep, Cap. We’ll do that.”

Lou Hiao tong liked to meet in deserted places. Made him feel safe; or some such. This one beat all though; gorram boondocks, what it was. Made him feel safer to know that Jayne was keepin’ a lookout, that he had Zoe at his back, and Wash in his ear. Mal took another look around at the landscape desert is what it was, and he hated the desert. Hot as Hades. “Zoë you ready?”

“Shirr ah, Sir. Ready here.”

Mal felt comforted by that. “Wash, you ready?”

Wash’s response came in over everyone’s ear pieces. “We are all ready here. Breakfast is done. The dinos are all fed.”

“Great. Now we wait. I hate gorram waiting.”

“Jayne, shut up.”

“Zoe, my lamby-toes., that was so succinctly put.”

As Mal and Zoë waited in the mule, Mal’s thoughts started to wander back to Caroline and the comment she’d made at breakfast. They weren’t really thieves – just didn’t approve of the Alliance. Shit, who was he kidding; they were thieves. Smugglers too; pretty goods ones if he did say so himself.

“Sir, they’re. Sir. SIR! ”

“Wha? Huh? Sorry. Lost in thought.”

“Wong’s comin’. Best be payin’ attention.”

“Let’s get this show on the road. Nice to be home by lunch.”

“It would, Sir, it would.”

“Ooh, lamby-toes pie for lunch.”

“Wash, my dear, shut up.”

Mal walked over to where Lou Hiao tong was standing. He and Zoë looked at the Chinese man wearing a beaver skin top hat, tails, and a bright red cravat. Zoë thought the contrast between Wong and Mal was about as big as it could get; but, for the moment she was more interested in keeping her eye on the man with him; the taller hired muscle with the twitchy eye.

“Capt-tain Reigh-nolds how are you on this fine morn?”

“Good. What cha want us to do? Mr. Lou?”

“I need you, your fine crew, and that bucket of bolts you call a ship to pick up and deliver some goods.”

“I s’pose we can do that.” Mal replied a little pensively wondering what the rest of the details were. “Ya got some details for us? Need a little more information fore I decide to ‘cept.”

“It’s a paltry little task really. A trifle. Just need to move some boxes of retail merchandise to Pythagoras. I will ensure that it is worth your while.”

“Hmm… worth our while?”

Wash came over the ear pieces. “You all know that Pythagoras is being blockaded by the Alliance right now? Some type of unrest there. Only certain ships are being allowed in; and those are being checked real well.

“Pythagoras. That’s the moon being blockaded right now, ain’t it? Mal mused out loud. Looking directly at Lou Hiao tong. Indirectly challenging him.

“It is; my fine man. It is; which is why the recompense is larger than usual. Half now, half later.” He handed over a heavy silken bag containing credits. “And a bonus for speedy delivery, say another twenty-five percent if it is there prior to the end of the month.”

“Sounds reasonable.” Tong was one for the little niceties, even though Mal now had suspicions that he’d been raised in a gutter somewhere. The cultivated accent slipped occasionally. Jayne had been the first one to point it out. The last time they’d had dealings with him. Jayne made surprising observations sometimes. Although, given that he was a tracker by trade it probably wasn’t that surprising. Trackers were supposed to notice changes in character and habits. Can’t track something if you don’t understand it – that is the difference between an exceptional tracker and an average one. “Three and half weeks to get to Pythagoras from here. Pushing it a little. Call it an even month? Don’t want us takin’ no unnecessary risks with your crates.”

“That sounds fine to me, Captain. One month. Details on the pick-up and delivery rendezvous places and times are included in the bag.”

“What are we transportin’? If’n I gotta get it by the Alliance I like to know what I’m riskin’ my crews hide over?”

“That sounds fair; medical supplies. Crates of medical supplies and some equipment support for the rebellion.”

Mal looked at Zoë “I don’t got a problem movin’ medical supplies.”

“It is nice doing business with someone so reasonable and dependable. Have a good day Captain Reynolds, Mrs. Washburne.” 

Caroline finished her porridge helped Kaylee with the dishes and went to find Simon to work on numbers. Wash and Jayne were going to teach her to play Blackjack later if she was good and worked hard for Simon. Wash said it was a counting game. Kaylee went up to the bridge for the Zoë-is-gone-on-a-meet-chat that didn’t happen earlier. Inara had gone into the city to pick up a dress she had ordered. She had a client scheduled after the dress; and would be back in the morning.

“What ‘re they up to?” Kaylee asked poking her head into the bridge.

Wash made his voice squeaky as he waved his blue plastic brontosaurus “Waitin’ on Lou Hiao wong.”

“Grr…” went the yellow T. Rex “Just like every other time we’ve ever dealt with him. Drive ‘em out to the middle of gorram nowhere and make ‘em wait.”

Kaylee sat down in the co-pilot’s chair and picked up a palm tree. She put her booted feet up and fondled the fronds. “I wonder what he wants. Hope it pays enough for some parts and some spares. Serenity ain’t had no spares in too long.”

“Yep, be nice not to worry.”

“Wash, what’s up? You sound down.”

“Zoë brought up kids again last night. Said with Caroline on board; it would be good practice for us.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh. Babies are a lot different than a seven year old.”

“Some; both take a lot of effort. Just different kinds of effort.”

“I suppose.” Wash replied absently twirling the brontosaurus around by its long blue neck. “I spose.”

“I wonder if they’ll be back by lunch.”

“Nope.” River announced poking her head in. “After.” And she popped right back out, dancing off to where only she knew.

“Wash, you really going to teach Caroline how to play Blackjack?”

“Figured I would. Makes counting fun. That’s how I learned to add. Old guy next door taught me to play when I was about five or six. Used to bet chores, cookies, coppers whatever. He’d put copper coins in the pot, I’d put in emptin’ the trash or some such. I remember being so proud one day I won two cookies, a coin and a plastic dinosaur. That was my first apaeotosaurus. I had a couple of others; but, that one was the one I was the most proud of.”

“Did you ever lose?”

“Quite consistently. I don’t think he ever took his garbage out, or had to go to the store. When I got older we switched to poker; then I’d end up fixing things for him.” Wash’s eyes were glazing over as he was remembering. “He used to play with a bunch of buddies from when he worked at the plant. They all knew I had no money, I think I was ten or so the first time I got to play with them. Shoot, I was run ragged for a month. Had so many chore chits out there; learned to play pretty good. Those old guys were crafty. After a while had me a nice little nest egg. Blew it all on a date, Adaleen Theral.”

“Adaleen. You ain’t never told me about her ‘fore.”

“Adaleen. My first true love. Ooh, Wong’s there.”

Kaylee sat forward as if she could hear. “Now, we find out what we’re doin’.” 

“Sshh..” 

“Call me if you need me Wash.” Kaylee heaved herself up and went out to check on things in the engine room in case they had to leave suddenly.

“Ho-ok.” Wash went back to his thoughts about Zoë and Adaleen. They were different; Zoë was wow. Zoë was his warrior woman, his lamby-toes, an Amazon. Adaleen was well she’d been a girl. Little Red Riding Hood or Goldilocks. Adaleen was like Little Red Riding Hood; that was it.

Lunch was mostly quiet. Simon was exhausted; he’d never taught before; especially a seven year old. When River was little, she’d just read his books. At least the kid didn’t seem to be as afraid of him anymore. Wash was worrying about Zoë and the meet. Kaylee was hoping that everyone got back soon. And River was talking about filling in old holes, fixing faith, and the Three Little Pigs. After everyone was done eating, Simon collapsed in the common room, Wash went back up to the bridge wishing and hoping his thoughts could get Zoë home sooner Kaylee, Caroline, and River were cleaning up the lunch mess, and packing plates for Jayne, Mal, and Zoë.

“Is the Cap’n a thief?” Caroline asked while bringing the last of the plates and flatware over to the sink where Kaylee was washing and River was drying and putting them away.

“No, honey. Of course not.” Kaylee said defensively almost dropping a glass.

“Is too, a good thief. Kind of like Robin Hood.” River added giving Kaylee a don’t lie to her look. Different then the ‘you’re a boob’ look Simon got a lot.

“Keeps us afloat. That’s good.” Kaylee said trying to dance around the topic.

“Robin Hood. Huh? Ma always said stealin’ from the tan lan ‘Liance was a good thing. Cause they is a bunch of chsheng xai-jiao de xiang huo”

“Caroline.” Kaylee said sharply “You ain’t supposed to talk like that.” She really hated having to tell Caroline no all the time but, she didn’t want the Cap’n to be angry.

“Just tellin’ you what ma said.”

“She says that’s not enough of an answer to fill a pin hole.” River added in putting down the dish towel and pirouetting over to the table. “Draw. Need clouds. Clouds. Not the horizon. Up high”

“Bao bei, that’s something you need to ask your ba’.” Kaylee said bending down and kissing Caroline on the head. “I’m going to go see if Inara’s back yet.”

“Clouds on the ceiling? Like in my bedroom; where you and Kaylee painted clouds and stars and the sun on the ceiling, and a castle on the wall? Can we paint clouds here on the ceiling over the table? That would be shiny. And stars and the moon!”

“Draw now; paint later. Paper.” River heard the mule first. They were drawing. A picture for Jayne; Caroline had decided that Jayne needed a picture to hang on his hatch. It was a picture of Jayne and Vera, he wearing an orange hat drinking a beer; with shaky letters underneath it spelling J – A – Y – N – E. “There back.” River stood up in her seemingly permanently bare feet, which of course Caroline had to imitate. Though the Cap’n had said that Caroline couldn’t be in the cargo hold without shoes on anymore.

“Cap’n, n Jayne, n Zoë?”

“Yep.”

“Let’s go see them. Hurry.” Off they went tearing down the passageways like a herd of wild horses yelling at the top of their lungs “They’re back” waking Simon up, and startling Kaylee. Everyone headed down to the cargo bay to greet the returning crew. Caroline followed River up onto the catwalks so they could get a birds-eye view. 

“Hey Captain Daddy.” Yelled River.

Caroline added in. “Hey Jayne, Hey Zoë!”

“Hey. You two be careful up there. Don’t fall and break your head’s open. Don’t need no excitement today.”

“How’d it go? Cap? We got work?” Kaylee asked coming from the engine room; Inara wasn’t back yet. She walked over to the mule and checked it over to make sure nothing was wrong with it as everyone milled around in the cargo bay talking.

“Yep, should keep the wolves at bay for a while.” Mal responded heading in towards his quarters. He needed to do some planning, budgeting, and other captainly stuff. “Tell you ‘bout it at dinner. Shepard back?”

“Not yet. He’s due back in time for dinner. He extended his stay at the Abbey; something about a holy day which required fasting and meditation.” Simon added from the back where he’d been looking over the returnees to see if there were any obvious injuries. There weren’t any -- that was rare. A very nice change.

Wash took Zoë back to their quarters to personally check her over for injuries; and to help her clean up. Caroline cornered Jayne before he could say gorramit mini-Mal. She wanted to show him the picture she’d drawn for the hatch down to his bunk. River had helped her hang it up. Simon went to guard his infirmary from Jayne’s intrusions. Jayne liked to make forays into his supplies for gun cleaning supplies, and generally he made it look more like a war-zone then an infirmary.

Dinner was a raucous affair. A bottle of Kaylee’s finest engine room hooch had been brought out to celebrate the new job. Shepard Book had conjured up a fine meal with produce from the Abbey. Most of the Shepards on Hillard were strict vegetarians; not like Shepard Book. There was even dessert, pastries. Not made from protein; but, from butter and fresh fruit from the orchard and farm that provided the financial and physical support for the Hilliard Abbey. Everyone was back but Inara; and she was due back in the morning.

After all of the post-meal adulations were complete; Caroline cleared the table, Jayne hadn’t broken any dishes while washing them; and the table had been wiped down. Mal started laying out the plan. They would leave Hilliard for Pythagoras the following evening. The next day would be spent laying in supplies, food, fuel, spare parts (Kaylee gasped when she heard this news!), and such. Mal and Zoe would pick up the delivery the following morning. They were going to disguise themselves as a long distance transport ship transporting the children of a wealthy family from Boros to Pythagoras for an extended visit. It was much easier with an actual child on board. River was going to pretend to be 14; and Caroline was going to be herself. Kaylee was going to be their nanny, and Jayne was their guard. Can’t have wealthy children floating around the ‘verse by themselves. Book was on board, because he was an itinerant preacher and was spreading the Word wherever he went. Inara was their Ambassador. And everyone else was themselves. Simple really, assimilate the equipment and supplies into the stocks of Serenity and fly through the front door. A motley crew providing a medley of services for a price.

“Kaylee you and Wash go get what you need for Serenity tomorrow morning.” He handed them a small stack of credits. He’d spent a chunk of the time in his quarters budgeting, and doing important captainy stuff. “Don’t spend everything in one place. Dong ma?” Kaylee nodded and pertly responded “Cap’n there’s only one yard on Hilliard. You want me buyin’ new parts?”

Mal just rolled his eyes. Then on to Jayne “Ammo, grenades, and whatever we’re running low on. Limit yourself, and bring back some change. Get ident cards, I seem to remember you saying you’ve got contacts around here.”

Zoë was next. “Zoë you and me are going to go and pick up the cargo.

Caroline had been sitting quietly at the table amusing herself by drawing a picture of Wash’s dinosaurs. “IDs are easy. You don’t buy ‘em, you take ‘em. I used ta sell em to Two-Snouts or Badger. Get ma drops and Zeus, keep her from screaming.”

The only response anyone at the table was able to come with was “huh.” Except Jayne who added “Now that makes some sense, first thing I heard all night with any horse sense in it.” Kaylee promptly smacked him. Zoë and Mal glared at him. 

Mal had no idea what to say so he kept going as if nothing had been happened and turned to Shepard Book “Groceries and supplies, for the next two months.”

Caroline added in “None of that grey breakfast gao se.” While glaring at Simon.

Mal sighed and looked at Caroline. “Language, little one. Language.”

“Yes, Xiān sheng. What do I getta do ‘morrow?”

“Well, you got lessons to do’. In the afternoon …”

Book added “She can come with me; we’ll go shopping together. Is that okay with you little one?”

Caroline nodded and returned to drawing. Book continued “I’d like to go and say good-bye to the brothers at the Abbey in the morning if that is all right with you, Captain?”

Mal nodded his assent and looked over at Caroline “Little one this ain’t Persephone; don’t want you goin’ out by yourself. You’re staying here with Simon and River.” Next Mal turned to Kaylee. “Kaylee you need some type of uniform?”

Simon answered that question. “Our nanny always had a uniform. The whole staff had uniforms; grey with lavender and white trim.”

“Purple belly.” Caroline muttered under her breathe, again glaring at Simon. Everyone ignored her.

“Kaylee can you get uniforms tomorrow for you and Jayne. Simple is good, cheap is better.” Mal ordered looking at the assembled. “Nice to be off this rock by 2000 hours tomorrow.”

Now that the planning was over Mal sat back. Everyone else was considering their parts. Jayne was the first to leave the table. He went by Caroline’s chair. “Nice picture Mini-Mal. It’s as good as the one on my bunk.”

Mal felt jealous that Caroline had drawn Jayne a picture not him. He was her father; shouldn’t she draw him a picture? Kaylee and River left soon after Jayne. Simon got his book and was reading in the common area. Wash and Zoe wandered off soon after.

Mal got a second cup of coffee and sat back in his chair and thought Caroline’s dinner table comment. It would be nice not to have to purchase IDs; good ones were expensive. And unless you’d had dealings with the seller beforehand you didn’t know exactly what you were getting. Kid was a good footpad; she’d managed to take his wallet without him noticing; she’d apologized for snagging his wallet that day. He didn’t want his daughter being a thief. No child should have to be a thief. She didn’t need to be a thief anymore. Nope, no daughter of his was going to be a gorram thief. The odds of his own daughter picking his pocket… small that’s what they were, small.

He put his cup in the sink; figured he’d wash it later. If he was lucky someone else would wash it. He went on what had become over the years a nightly routine of checking on Serenity and her crew. He started walking and could hear Zoë and Wash talking softly up on the bridge; like they did most nights. Jayne was sharpening his knives in the common area talking with Shepard Book. Simon was reading a thick book in there also; and apparently keeping one ear in on the conversation. Mal kept on walking; he poked his head in on Kaylee in the engine room where she was putting Serenity to bed. Kept on going, walking the catwalks of the ship that was home. He paused outside the hatch to Inara’s shuttle, which wasn’t back yet. It seemed empty without everyone onboard.

Serenity was a sanctuary for him and Zoë from the horrors of war; a home to Wash and Kaylee; a prison in many ways to Simon. He wasn’t sure what Serenity was to River; and it was a job to Jayne. Mal hoped that he could translate his love of Serenity to Caroline. 

Mal kept on walking. He heard voices coming from his berth, and went to check it out. Caroline and River were reading inside ‘Caroline’s Castle.’ That’s what it said on the wall behind her mattress. Inara, Jayne, River and Kaylee had done a wonderful job of making Caroline’s berth something special. They’d moved some non-structural walls around and made her a spot the size of a mattress. They’d done some moving around all over. Jayne and Kaylee had put doors on both Mal’s and Caroline’s bunks; screens that when closed made the small compartment into a living room you couldn’t tell that there were beds in there at all. The inside of Caroline’s nook had been painted; a daytime sky down at the foot of her bed progressing to a night sky at the top. On the side Inara and River had painted a castle and animals along with the words ‘Caroline’s Castle.’ Kaylee had donated her beloved pink ball gown; she and Inara had sewn it into some girly frippery pillows and trim for her blanket and the such.

“What ‘cha reading, little ones?”

“River’s reading me the Le Morte D'Arthur. I like listening to her, she reads nice. You want ta stay and listen for a while?”

Mal settled in his chair. “I think I might, if’fn you both don’t mind?”

“Nope, River read.” Caroline poked River in the side.

“Terrabyl / So his wyf Dame Igrayne he putte in the castell of Tyntagil / And hym self he putte in the castel of Terrabyl the whiche had many yssues and posternes oute / Thenne in alle haste came Vther with a grete hoost / and leyd a syege aboute the castel of Terrabil / And ther he pyght many pauelyons / and there was grete warre made on bothe partyes / and moche peple slayne / Thenne for pure angre and for grete loue of fayr Irayne the kyng Vther felle seke / So came to the kynge Vther Syre Vlfius a noble knyght / and asked the kynge why he was seke / I shall telle the said the kynge / I am seke for angre and for loue of fayre Igrayne that I may not be hool…”

Mal closed his eyes and listened to River’s voice as it rose and fell in the cadence of a long dead language, Middle English. It was very melodic and peaceful. After a long while he looked up and saw that Caroline had fallen asleep. He made a motion to River who stopped reading. Together they got her ready for bed trying not to disturb her anymore than necessary.

“Good night River.” Mal told River after they had Caroline tucked away in her castle and River was halfway up the ladder.

“Good night Captain Daddy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve included a link to Le Morte D’ Arthur in English: https://web.archive.org/web/20080925231822/http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/Mal1Mor.html
> 
> Ba’ – Father  
Bao bei -- Precious/treasure  
Chsheng xai-jiao de xiang huo - animal fucking bastard  
Gao se -- Crap  
Gorram -- Damn  
Ma shong -- hurry; on the double; stat  
Niu shi -- Cow dung  
Shirr ah -- Affirmative  
Tan lan -- avaricious/greedy/insatiable  
Xiān sheng – Sir/Mr/Teacher  
Xin gan – Sweetheart


	8. Supply Run

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to everyone that has been reading what was supposed to be a short story; but, has managed to grow and grow. Special thanks to Heathkack, RionaEire, Sonny1952, Trent Fairweather, and Whereintheworld for the encouragement. And to **Voetsek007** for telling me to keep going and finally finish this damn thing Love you all!!!  
As always translations are at the end.

Qin aide wo de ma. Who’da thunk that leaving Serenity to go pick up cargo would be considered a peaceful break? Mal mused as he and Zoe left Serenity to go to the address Lou Hiao tong had given them. So far the day had been horrible, it couldn’t get any worse than it already was. Caroline had woken him up in the middle of the night with nightmares about the Alliance taking her away. Before breakfast there’d been a wave from Badger; but, the transmission had been garbled. Something about Golensa and abbey.

Then to keep with the glorious day there had been the breakfast fight over the grey niu shi; which had ended up with Caroline in tears. She was still sitting at the table with a bowl of very cold porridge. Mal wished that they could just give Caroline the shots she needed to be up to date; but, there were so many. And the cost associated with all the shots would be the entire ships food budget for a month. So it was grey porridge every morning. 

Inara had returned late; and had slept through breakfast so Mal was left to try and brush Caroline’s hair – usually if ‘Nara wasn’t available Kaylee or Zoë brushed it. That whole hairbrush and comb thing was really complicated, especially before he’d had any coffee. It had been yet another big mistake; Kaylee finished the job while giving him mean looks. He didn’t mean to pull the little one’s hair and make her cry.

He walked out of the galley, after making Caroline cry over porridge and came across River in the passage. She promptly melted down and started having a “spell.” Screaming about houses blowing down. When Caroline heard River screaming she sprinted towards her ‘sister.’ And as soon as she saw that Simon was loading a syringe; she wigged out and attacked Simon. It was the infirmary all over again, took the better part of an hour to get everyone calmed down. Mal was trying to grab hold of Caroline and calm her down. Simon was trying to calm River down, sedate her to prevent her from hurting herself or someone else. And then recover from an attack by a vicious little kitten – complete with claws. Thank goodness for the Shepard, he stepped in and helped with River while Kaylee and Mal calmed Caroline. The day couldn’t get much worse. Well, it could rain. Or it could snow. It was the summer season on Hillard, and that meant three months of dry hot sun and no rain. At least Kaylee wasn’t mad at him anymore.

Out of everyone leaving Mal and Zoë were the last. Inara agreed to watch a drugged River and pouting Caroline. Caroline was specifically told by Mal in front of Inara that there were no cartoons today; and she had to finish her porridge for lunch. No puppy dog eyes were getting her out of eating it. Food was too precious to waste. Wash and Kaylee were on their way to the junkyard, and then getting uniforms. Jayne was on his way to fill the ammunition stores. Shepard Book was off to the Abbey. Hillard was far out enough that the Alliance presence was very minimal and more symbolic than anything; so Simon had decided that this was a good place to replenish his suturing and stitching supplies that Caroline and River had used up in the makin’ of their spider web. With Inara agreeing to watch River Simon felt comfortable enough to leave without her; so he had left for town.

It was the first time Mal could remember that he was happy to leave Serenity. Zoë was driving the mule which left Mal time to think. Time to think about Caroline, River, the job, while musing through all of this stuff he happened upon a solution to the grey glop problem. Thank you Dr. Spock! Maybe this job would go off without a hitch. Be nice, real nice. There were enough complications at the moment didn’t need no more.

“Sir. We’re here.”

“Huh.”

“Earth-That-Was to Captain Reynolds. The warehouse. Lou Hiao wong’s cargo. Pick up.”

“Oh, yeah. Medical supplies. I was thinking.”

Zoë narrowed one eye. “Been doing that a lot lately.”

Mal looked over the dusty warehouse where they were supposed to pick up their cargo. “Well, let’s get to it.” Mal hopped out of the mule and walked over to the door. It was painted with a large drunk looking clown head. There was dusty faded sign hung over it that read ‘Wong’s Entertainment supplies for all purposes.’ Zoë got in front of him and sharply rapped on the door. “Place looks right old.” Mal commented on the rusting exterior of the structure. The sign was held on by one screw and mostly rested on the top of the door frame giving it a cock-eyed look.

They heard shuffling inside, and then a rusty voice announced “Coming, I’m coming.” It seemed like an eternity before the door opened. A very tall old man stood before them. So tall it seemed that if he stood up straight he could touch the sky. “My name is Yuri, Yuri Petrovich. May I help you?” He asked in heavily accented English; his voice sounded as if it was never used and he was out of practice in talking.

“I’m Captain Mal Reynolds, and this is my first mate; we are here to pick up cargo to be transported to Pythagoras.”

“Yes, I remember now. Mr. Lou said something about someone coming to get boxes. Follow me.” His demeanor made it feel like they were intruding. Yuri turned and walked slowly back in the dimly lit warehouse. Everything was covered in a layer of dust and grime. It looked like nothing had moved in or out of the building since the planet had been terraformed. Yuri gestured towards a smallish stack of crates in one of the bays, the only thing in the whole place with no dust. “I’ll open the main door so that you can pull in your mule.”

Mal nodded, the trio all trudged back to the front of the warehouse. Zoë was looking around at everything and everywhere. When they reached the front of the warehouse Yuri pushed a button and a large garage style door silently moved up its tracks letting in brilliant sunshine. Yuri remained in the shadows shielding his eyes as if he was allergic to light. Although given how bright the sun was shining and the lack of clouds Mal could understand his reaction.

It was eerily quiet in the back of the warehouse where Mal and Zoë were loading crates onto the mule. Yuri had left and gone to wherever he had been before they showed up. The only thing they could hear other then themselves was a muted mechanical hum. They quickly loaded the six small cartons marked medical supplies; and three large crates marked medical equipment. Zoë piloted the mule back outside while Mal went to find Yuri. Like a wraith he appeared when Mal reached the front of the warehouse. “You all done?”

“Yes, Sir. Only these nine crates? We’ve loaded everything up and will be out of your way.”

“Good, good. Uh, just these crates. Yes.” Yuri ushered Mal out of the warehouse and closed the door. Mal could hear a series of clicks behind him as walked toward the mule. It was as if he couldn’t wait to be rid of them.

“Ready Zoë? That went smoothly; let’s get the diyu out of here.”

“Little too smoothly if you ask me Sir.” Zoë replied as she started the mule towards Serenity. “Place didn’t seem quite right.” She thought about the mechanical hum which did not appear to have a reason; there was no operating machinery in the building. It also didn’t appear to have an origin.

“It’s not fair” Caroline thought to herself as she watched the cargo bay teem with activity. “Everyone else gets to go and do fun things. I gotta do lessons, boring lessons. River don’t gotta do lessons. Can’t even go outside by myself; what am I? A baby? I don’t wanna do worksheets while everyone else does cool stuff. I can help too.”

Kaylee and Wash were getting ready to go to the junkyard; they were preparing a list and checking it twice. Kaylee was really hoping to find parts for the thermal regulator at a good price, Wash was just happy to leave the ship for a little while; he loved being on Serenity with Zoë; but, it was nice to see the sky and earth too.

Jayne had been the first one off the ship that morning. Shepard Book was taking his time finishing his morning rituals as he called it. Simon left the ship to stock up on some medical necessities; something about gunshot wounds. Mal and Zoë had left to get the cargo; that left Inara, River and Caroline. She was supposed to be babysitting Caroline; and keeping an eye on a heavily sedated River.

“I don’t need no hun dan babysitter. Ain’t fair.” Caroline thought.

No one seemed to notice her; they were all busy with getting ready for the mission. ‘Nara was doing pretty lady stuff in her shuttle and probably wouldn’t come out for ages. Ma used to do that before she went out for the night; paint her face and other big girl things. River was sleeping off her ‘spell;’ that was what Kaylee called it when River got weird – a spell. Caroline slipped out of the cargo bay and headed to the crew berthing to get her old clothes. Kaylee said she should keep them as play clothes. She’d patched em up good too. They were what Caroline wore most days; made her feel close to her ma.

Caroline snuck off Serenity dressed like a street urchin; once she rounded the corner out of site of everyone she knelt down and rolled in the dust. Remembering the words that Two Snouts told her – no one ever sees a daio bu ti mian little bastard. Hilliard was her first trip off of Persephone, and on her shopping trip it didn’t seem that much different. “How different can Hillard be? I bet everywhere looks like ‘Sephone?” Caroline muttered as he kept going down the street. The people looked the same; dusty, and busy. No one payin’ no attention to anything going on round them.

Caroline slipped around corners and in and out of alleys looking for some good marks. She thought the Captain would be happy if he didn’t have to worry about IDs. He could see how good she was at getting things. Purple bellies, there had to be hun dan purple bellies around here somewhere. Finally on the main street Caroline found what she was looking for, the perfect marks, an Alliance patrol that was talking loudly about what they were going to do when they were off duty. They never knew what hit them; if they had been wearing bells none of them would have gone off! She had two sets of Ident cards; one that looked kind of like Wash if you squinted, and one that looked like Simon. Two Snouts once told her ‘bout a school someplace off-planet where taught pick pocketing using suits with bells all over them.

Caroline ducked into an alley and looked at what she’d gotten. Two wallets, dropping the wallets into a trash receptacle she counted the credits not too many and tucked everything into one of her many interior pockets. Ma had sewn them into the shirt and overalls so she’d have lots of places to put stuff. Places where no one could steal anything or find her stuff.

Caroline was almost skipping with delight; she only needed a few more. She headed back out; reached the main street and started looking again. She walked through the streets looking at the people and trying to find someone that looked like River, Zoë, Kaylee. Caroline really wanted one that looked like River. She spotted a woman not too far ahead who was herding a bunch of children, who didn’t look none too happy about being herded like sheep. Three down; the lady looked like Inara, just not as fancy. Caroline cruised up and down the streets for another hour netting another four ID cards, some more credits, and a lot of family captures. She now had a Wash Ident card, a Simon, Inara, Kaylee, River, and a second Wash. The second Wash card was a lot better than the first one. Two Snouts said it was always a good thing to take the captures too; better to create a new person. Something like that. One more wallet, then she’d head back to Serenity; it was almost lunch time. This was fun!

Caroline was sitting on the sidewalk leaning up against a trash receptacle watching people go by and picking out her next mark. Just sitting and watching, when she saw him – the perfect mark, he looked kind of like the Cap’n all swai-like wearing tight black pants; but, his had a dark purple stripe. She stood up and started towards the fancy pants when she was lifted up by the straps of her overalls.

Caroline started struggling and fighting to get loose. “Let go of me. Leggo!”

“Tzao gao! What in the hell are you doing here Mini-Mal?” Jayne gave her a shake and growled in her ear. 

“Jayne, leggo of me.” Jayne set her on the ground still keeping a firm grip on the back of her overalls; he knew she’d rabbit if he gave her the chance.

“Not till you tell me what in the diyu you’re doin’ here? Cap’n ain’t gonna be happy you not bein’ where you supposed ta be.”

“Ain’ never been ta Hillard. Wanted to see some more of it.”

“Uh huh. And…”

Caroline started shuffling her feet in the dusty road. “Not fair, that everyone else gets to go places. I don’t.”

Jayne shrugged. “Cap’s d’cision. Ain’t gettin’ in the middle of you and him. Let’s get back.”

“Ya’ ain’ goin’ to tell ‘im are you?”

“Ain’ up to me.” Jayne picked up his bag (the rest was being delivered) and gave Caroline a gentle shove in the general direction of Serenity, and they walked in silence for a couple of blocks. He fingered the small china doll he’d gotten her; he’d seen it in a window and remembered his sister had one kind of like it. Guess he wasn’t giving it to her today; they walked in silence for another minute. “What were you doin’ snoopin’ round downtown.”

“Helpin’. I got IDs. Just like I used ta for Two-Snouts. He said I his bestest ID getter. Better then the big boys. Gotten’ almost nuf for everyone. Jest needed one more. For the Cap’n.” She scowled up at Jayne. “Almost had it too.”

“Rrmm.” Jayne growled in lack of anything better to say. Saved him some coin, he didn’t need to get no ID cards now. He’d been on his way to get cards when he’d seen her. They reached Serenity before anything else was said.

“Ya ain’t gonna tell are you?” Caroline plaintively asked again. She really didn’t want to get in trouble.

“Rrmm.” Jayne growled again he didn’t want to get stuck in the middle. “Ain’t me you gonna have to ‘splain yourself to; it’s ‘Nara.” He grunted pointing with a chin toss as the Companion who was waiting on the skirt of Serenity’s cargo bay.

“Bao bei, where have you been? I’ve been looking all over for you.” Inara had a worried look on her face. “I was just about to call the Captain. How did you get so dirty?”

“I wanted to see more of Hillard. Ain’t been here ‘fore.” Mumbled Caroline scuffing the ground with her toe.

“Oh honey, if you wanted to see it I would have taken you. It’s not safe for a little girl to go out here all alone.”

“Ain’t much different than ‘sephone. An’ I ain’t little!”

Inara raised an eyebrow, forcing herself to stay calm. “True, I suppose; but, you don’t know your way around here. Let us go get you cleaned up for lunch then.”

“I ain’t no little baby; and it ain’t fair for everyone to be always treatin’ me like one.”

“No, bao bei you aren’t; but, to be given the respect you want you have to earn it.” Inara put her hand on Caroline’s shoulder and gently guided her towards Shuttle 1. “Everyone on board Serenity has worked for the respect which the Captain gives them. It didn’t just happen overnight.”

Mal and Zoë pulled into Serenity’s cargo bay. Mal looked around and sighed, it was good to be back. He hoped that everything, and everyone, had calmed down. “Jayne.”

“Yeah, Cap.” Jayne looked up from sharpening his knife on the ladderwell in the cargo bay.

“Come help us unload these crates.”

“That’s it? All we’re takin’ to Pythagoras?”

“Yep.”

“That’s a lot a money for jest nine boxes.”

Mal grunted an assent and the trio quickly finished unloading and temporarily stowing the boxes. Zoë went to clean the dust off of herself; Jayne went back to putting an edge on his knife, and Mal went to find Caroline. As he was walking towards the common area he wondered if Wash had any luck with getting the transmission ungarbled. With the day Serenity had been having; probably not.

The first thing Mal saw when he entered the dining area was Caroline laboriously writing on the bottom of a picture. Her empty porridge bowl was there, that was good. She’d actually finished it. There were worksheets scattered around the table, they looked to be mostly done. It looked like this school thing was working out pretty good. He needed to thank Simon, the Shepard, Kaylee, and Inara for all they’d done. “What-cha workin’ on little one?”

“Story. Miss Inara helped me with the words.”

Mal sat down and looked at the drawing of something it could be a fish, a robot, something. “Tell me ‘bout it; I like it.”

“It’s Serenity. And that’s you, ba’.” Caroline started pointing at a bunch of stick figures in front of the fish like thing. “That’s Zoë and Wash, they’re holdin’ hands; that’s Jayne, Kaylee, River, an’ Simon. And this is me.”

“That’s right nice. Hang it up in here?” She called him dad! Mal’s heart lit up like Kaylee’s lights.

“Ho-ok. That sounds shiny.”

“What all you do this mornin’ little one?”

A guilty look spread across Caroline’s face and words tripped over each other in their hurry to out of her mouth. “I helped. You. I helped you.”

“Huh?” Mal was worried; and looked sternly down at the little girl.

Caroline showed him the seven Ident Cards, the captures, and the Caretaker’s Guild membership. She told him everything. It all came out in a flood: Sneaking off Serenity, rolling in the dust, sneaking around the alleys, the Alliance patrol, Two Snouts ‘words of wisdom,’ Jayne findin’ her, and Inara’s discussion about respect.

Listening, Mal just ran his fingers through his hair and mentally paced the dining area. “Qin aide wo de ma. Hwoon dahn.” He thought to himself, “Dr. Spock doesn’t cover this! Qing wa cao de liu mang. What to do? What would my mama do? Kick my ass is what she would have done. What would the Shepard do?”

“Patience.” Mal spoke out loud.

“Huh? Ba’ what’re you talkin’ bout.”

“Nothin’ little one. Tryin’ to figure out what to do.”

“I helped didn’t I?” Caroline asked looking up at him with big puppy-dog eyes, a mirror image of his own.

“Mmmm…” Mal was very noncommittal. “I told you not to leave Serenity by yourself. An’ I don’t want you bein’ a footpad.”

“Ain’t that what you do – thievin’?“

Mal spoke very carefully trying to not misstep. “Kind of, not really, we just try to live outside the arms of the Alliance. Just do what we gotta to survive.”

“What ‘bout when you stole the medicine on Ariel? Like Jayne told me ‘bout?”

Mal thought to himself – Hwoon dahn, Son of a bitch; Jayne; you had to tell her ‘bout that stuff. What should he say? Yes, it’s thieving. No, it ain’t; cause it’s from the Alliance. Now out loud: “It’s thievin’. I ain’t proud of it; that’s why I don’t want you stealing stuff. Don’t want the ‘Liance to have a reason to bind you.”

“Huh. So I’m not in trouble?” Caroline asked feeling very hopeful, the lead weight easing out of her gut.

“I didn’t say that.

“But, but everyone else gets to do stuff. You treat me like a baby. I ain’t no baby.”

“Nope, you aren’t a baby. When you learn to act grown up you’ll get treated like a grown-up.” He turned a stern eye towards Caroline when it looked like she was going to protest. “You’re going ta do extra chores; startin’ with washing the mule. Save Kaylee the trouble.”

“It ain’t fair.”

“Aren’t going to be no discussion ‘bout it either. And no dessert tonight neither.” He knew that no dessert would be the worst part of the punishment; the Shepard would have brought something special from the Abbey. Mal scooped Caroline up in his arms and hugged her “I love you, and don’t want you hurt little one. Ok?” She nodded ok. “Do something like this again, and I will whup you. Dong ma?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Now go on and get to cleaning. You know where the cleanin’ stuff is.” Mal watched her leave the dining room, put his head in his hands and thought: Tzao gao, this parenting stuff is hard. Dr. Spock didn’t cover everything. No entry under pick pocketing in the index, or one for thievin’.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ba’ – Father  
Bao bei -- Precious/treasure  
Daio bu ti mian -- Dirty, shameful  
Diyu – hell  
Dong ma? – Understand?  
Hun dan -- Stupid  
Hwoon dahn - Son of a bitch  
Niu shi -- Cow dung  
Qin aide wo de ma – Dear mother of God  
Qing wa cao de liu mang - Frog humping son of a bitch  
Swai – Handsome  
Tzao gao- Damn it


	9. It was a Dark and Stormy Night and Captain said to his Daughter…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A special thank you to **Mal4Prez** for being my original beta; I’m so glad I found you again! And to **Voetsek007** for telling me to keep going and finally finish this damn thing It is you all who make writing this worthwhile.
> 
> As always translations are at the end.

Tzao gao, damn it, he hated getting dressed up. Mal stared in the small mirror and squirmed a little at the tight collared shirt which made him feel like he was choking. One more swipe with the brush through his hair; that was as good as it was gonna’ get.

“Mal, are you ready? We need to go or else were going to be late and I want a good seat.”

“I’m ready.”

Everyone piled into the wagons; it was a motley crew: people hiding from the Alliance, loners, and the such. It was a nice day for a wagon ride, not a great day to be stuck in a schoolhouse listening to a spelling bee – not where Mal wanted to spend his Saturday. The only free day of the week; every other day had stuff crammed so full into it that he was kept busy from sunrise to sunset.

Diyu, there were a lot of people there. It was like the whole town was there. Mal sat in the buckboard for a moment after everyone else had gotten out and gone to find seats inside or meet up with friends. Nerves, it had to be nerves; he hated events like this.

“Malcolm Reynolds, get your butt in here. This thing ain’t going to start without you.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’m coming.” Mal started walking the schoolhouse dragging his feet.

“Don’t you scuff your new shoes, either.”

“Mǔ. I’m coming.” He walked into the one room school house. Mama and Mr. Wang, the ranch foreman, was sitting right in the front row. It seemed that everyone in town was there, and all the ranch hands. This was the big social event of the month: The Spelling Bee finals; everyone was socializing afterwards there was going to be a picnic lunch. Mama had made fried chicken, Mrs. Xing, the washerwoman had brought fried apple dumplings, and the Jensen’s, the local grocer’s had brought ice cream – homemade ice cream, both peach and strawberry.

The first few words were easy: apricot, trouble, principal, and the like. Jen Xing got out on marzipan. She was really pretty, long black hair almost to her waist; Xing had kissed him behind the barn last week. Pieter Smith misspelled received. He made it through the first few rounds spelling: researched, arguing, and commitment. The Larsen twins got out in the next round on secretary and introduction. Easy words, mama had quizzed him on all of these words: mimicked, inspired, and cruelty. Mal looked over; it was just him and Hans. The words were getting harder: recognition, prophesy, and penicillin. Hans was starting to sweat. Mal clenched and unclenched his fists, and his palms were starting to feel clammy: Anthropology, innuendoes, and individualize. Loquacious, Hans misspelled it. Mal started “Loquacious L—O – Q – U – A,” he squeezed his eyes shut trying to see the word like mama taught him. “C – I – O – U –S. Loquacious.”

Mal opened his eyes to his mama jumping up and rushing the stage to capture him in a big hug. Mr. Wang was standing and clapping, all the other hands were cheering. Mr. Koble, the teacher, gave him his prize, a silver cross. Mama hung the little cross around his neck.

“I have faith in you my son. You can do anything that you set your mind to; always remember that.” She whispered in his ear as she tied the leather thong around his neck.

The rest of the day was a blur, the preacher blessed the food people brought. He didn’t say the blessing like Mr. Wang, not nearly as good. One day he was going to be as good as Mr. Wang at blessing. Mama called him Henry; but, everyone else called him Sir or Mr. Wang. The local newspaper took captures of him, Hans, and their families. He wanted everyone from the ranch in his picture; but, the man from the news service said only his mama could be in it.

After his chores that night mama made him chicken and dumplings. Lots of times she added molded protein to the meat to stretch it. Feeding forty people every night was hard; but, not tonight. It was all real chicken, they were having a celebration. A party just for him -- the Shadow Spelling Bee Champ! He could hear mama singing, she always sang when she was happy. Mal could smell it all the way from the barn. The chicken smelled so good.

“Mal, Mal, wake up. We can’t have dinner with you sleeping at the table.” Mal felt for the cross on his chest as he turned his head to see Wash looking at him. It wasn’t there, and hadn’t been for years; but, he could still feel the weight of it around his neck. Kaylee was singing at the stove, something she musta pulled off of the cortex.

“Huh?”

“Dinner’s about ready. Shepard and Kaylee made chicken and dumplings. You were muttering in your sleep ‘bout someone named Hans?”

Mal just shook his head clearing out the cobwebs. “Dinner, best I go get cleaned up.” He looked around for the low melodic noise he heard. Almost like singing.

“…as thou wilt have it. Now make you ready, said Merlin, this night ye shall lie with Igraine in the castle of Tintagil; and ye shall be like the duke her husband, Ulfius…” Shepard, he thought to himself; reading to Caroline out of that book. The title was Death something. At least he wasn’t reading to her out of his bible. Or the symbol as River called it.

“Little one best you get cleaned up for dinner, and you need to get the table set.”

“But, Shepard’s readin’”

“Now. Go.”

“Go little one. I need to clean up too.” Shepard Book told Caroline in a low authoritative voice.

The Shepard and Caroline got up and left the common area with Caroline completing some ballet dancy thing. Mal was sure that River had a proper name for the movement; she’d told him all of them at one time or another. Caroline was copying her a lot now, it was pretty comical looking at her spinning and leaping, kind of like his heart leaped whenever she called him “ba’.” Until she’d showed up he’d never thought that there was so much emptiness in his life; but, Caroline had filled the invisible holes in his soul.

Mal walked over to the steaming pot and got ready to open it up; and Kaylee promptly swatted him with a dish towel.

“Don’ chu go ruining my pot of chicken n’ dumplings. You’re as bad as Jayne wantin’ tastes of everything.”

“Aww… Lil’ Kaylee, just one bite, please?” 

“Nope. You go wash up. No tastin’. You neither Wash. Go get everyone.”

Dinner was a happy affair. Everyone was glad to have work; and the time on Hillard had made almost everyone happy. Zoë and Wash had some time to themselves. Inara had lined up a client for Pythagoras. Shepard Book had visited friends. Kaylee had gone to the junkyard. Jayne had partook of the local color for a few hours. Even Simon had left the ship for a little while. And best of all, no one had been detained by the law or injured.

The discussion at dinner centered round the new job. After Wash and Kaylee had gotten back from the junkyard, Kaylee had gone to looking for a nanny uniform; and a uniform for Jayne. Wash had plotted a course to Pythagoras, a direct course; no skirting the Alliance, no hiding in the black. Kaylee enthused about their finds at the junkyard and her new uniform; it wasn’t everyday she got to participate in their missions. River was really subdued; the effects of the heavy sedatives Simon had given her after her latest spell. Everyone was ignoring her. Jayne shot ugly looks at her occasionally. Shepard Book was talking about the twin suns of Pythagoras.

Mal interrupted Kaylee’s animated description over a set of mostly new gaskets and seals. “Simon, tomorrow you need to go through those crates, mark everything, and integrate it into your supplies. Need to make everything look kosher, like it belongs. Dong ma?”

“Yes, Captain. I’m looking forward to it. SS is the best manufacturer of medical equipment in the core.”

“SS. Whats’ that?” Wash looked at Simon. “Some sort of Super Simon stuff?”

Jayne snickered. “Simple Simon’s more like it.”

“It’s Sol Sapphira. They’re a medical equipment and pharmaceutical house.”

Mal looked over at Caroline and Inara. Inara was trying to teach her table manners; it seemed to be a losing battle; she did a lot better with tea. She still gobbled food like Jayne; but, less food was getting on the floor. Dr Spock said it was because she had gone without so much; at least she wasn’t hoarding it. That was one of the things his book said to watch out for.

And Caroline now used a napkin. Some manners she had, some she didn’t. Then Mal angled his head toward Wash who was dabbing a bit of dumpling off his wife’s face. “Wash, we got a course?”

“Yep, right in the front door. Haven’t done a course like that in a long while.”

Jayne muttered to anyone that would listen in between bites of his third helping of food “I ain’t likin’ this. Know a gorram bad idea when I hear one.”

Kaylee punched him in the arm. “Shut up, Jayne. It’ll be shiny. Just you wait and see.”

“Curiosity did not kill the cat; the fault was in the cat's inattentiveness to its surroundings.” River added; as only River could add.

“Gone a little smooth for my comfort,” Zoë added in as Wash stood up and started clearing the table. It was his night to do dishes. Mal gave a significant look over at Caroline she sighed, got up and started helping him clear. The Shepard got up and put a plate of pastries on the table.

“Fresh from the Abbey. Cakes filled with jam.” Everyone oohed and ahhed over them and promptly took one. Caroline reached for one; but, got gently thunked on the back of the head by Mal. He gave her a terse look and a head shake; gesturing her towards the sink. She glared at the floor, sticking her lower lip out in a pout; but, not courageous enough to defy him or openly glare at him.

“Smooth is good. Ain’t got enough jobs that go smooth,” Mal responded pushing back from the table; but, not before he took a pastry and wrapped it up for Caroline for tomorrow. “Wash, I’ll do those dishes you and Kaylee go get us airborne. Time to get off this rock.”

Wash gave a little jig as he waved his towel in the air. “Free, free at last.” He kissed Zoë and left heading up to the bridge, Zoë followed him out. “We’ll be breakin’ atmo in fifteen minutes.” Kaylee left heading towards her engine room to make sure Serenity was ready to go.

“I believe that I too shall take my leave. I’m going to go and conduct an initial inspection of the cargo,” Simon said looking like a kid on Christmas morning when confronted with a pile of Christmas presents. “Come on River.” He pulled River’s chair back from the table and guided her out of the galley. Book left soon after, heading to do his evening meditation.

Jayne muttered under his breath as he watched the pair leave “liu kou shui de biao zi he hou zi de ben er zi and his fengdian sister.”

“Jayne.” Mal and Inara both glared at him, as Caroline started laughing. 

“On that note of charming civility I will take my leave.” Inara stood up and glided towards the door. Jayne left right behind her; he didn’t want to get corralled into helping with dishes.

“Well little one it’s just you and me.” Mal grabbed the towel from where it was hanging; not much clean up was needed when Kaylee and the Shepard cooked. They cleaned as they went; only ones on the crew that did that. 

“What’s say we go and read a story or sumpin’ before bed?”

“Yeah, when we gonna get to Py… Pythagras, Ba’?”

Mal put his hand on her shoulder after he dimmed the lights in the galley. “Pythagoras. Three weeks. Took us the better part of a week to get here.”

Caroline climbed down the ladderwell into their berthing compartment “What story you gonna tell me? Something ‘bout your horse? Earth-That-Was?”

Mal followed her down the ladder “I was thinkin’ I’d tell you about when I won the spelling bee back on Shadow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ba’ -- Father  
Diyu – Hell   
Dong ma? – Understand?  
Fengdian- crazy  
Gorram -- Damn  
Liu kou shui de biao zi he hou zi de ben er zi -- Stupid son of a drooling whore and a monkey  
Mǔ – Mother  
Shirr ah -- Affirmative  
Tzao gao- Damn it
> 
> I borrowed the quote about the cat and curiosity. I don’t know where I found it. But, I love it; so thank you whomever I borrowed it from.


	10. Victoria's Secret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RionaEire thanks for the inspiration. Riona, it’s in here. Whereintheworld thanks for the conversation, Voetsek007, GoddessThunder, Dusty974, and Sonny1952 thank you so much for the encouragement and time. As always, the translations are at the end.

I ain’t eatin’ that!”

“Caroline, that’s breakfast. River’s eating it. Sides you don’t got much choice. What’s the Cap’n goin’ ta say?”

“Still ain’t eatin’ that.” Caroline looked at River who was pushing her spoon around in the bowl “It’s gross. Tastes like niu shi, cow dung. An food taint that color. Ain’t natural, foods not grey. Only Alliance food is that color.”

“Niu shi” River added, her hair drooping over the bowl like a waterfall. “Not food.” She was still feeling the after effects of the sedatives Simon had pumped her full of yesterday.

Jayne looked up from sluping up his second bowl of mush. “I ’gree with ‘em; but, its food. Better then goin’ hungry.”

Caroline stuck her spoon in the bowl and pulled it back out watching the grey stuff slide off it in clumps. “I’ll go hungry then.”

“Xin gan, Cap’n said if’fn you didn’t eat it for breakfast you was eating it for lunch.” Kaylee said almost begging Caroline to eat. It was repeating again, déjà vu, the morning fight over porridge. Word for word the same fight every morning.

“Nope. Ain’t eatin’ it.” And the set of Caroline’s eyes and chin made Kaylee and Jayne both think of Mal when he set his mind on something.

“Mini-Mal” River added glancing between Kaylee and Jayne.

As a last ditch effort Kaylee used the threat that had been working for the last couple of weeks. Caroline’s fear of needles was greater than her hatred of porridge. “Ya don’t eat it; Simon’s going to poke ya with needles; like he does River. This has the stuff in it you need to be healthy, and I know how much you like being poked.”

Mal walked in with Simon; he’d had to literally drag the boy away from the cargo. Never seen someone so excited about some medical equipment. ‘Specially stuff he couldn’t keep. “Nian qing de, young one, you fightin’ with Kaylee again?”

Kaylee nodded yes, and Caroline glared at her when Mal couldn’t see her. “No, Sir. I’m eatin’.” She glumly responded mushing her spoon around in the grey gao se.

“Don’t look like it. I’ll give you a choice ‘bout breakfast.” Mal tried to keep his frustration levels down, it was really getting old, fighting over breakfast every morning. 

Hope sparked in Caroline “I don’t gotta eat this Niu shi?”

Mal cuffed Caroline gently on the back of the head. “Language. Don’t wanna hear you talkin’ like Jayne.”

“Yes, Sir.” She responded glumly; but perked up “Choice?”

Mal opened his mouth to start explaining when he was hit in the nose by a glob of porridge. “Bhhh...ffp.”

Everyone in the room started chuckling under their breath. Mal wiped the blob off of his face where it landed with a squishy thunk on the floor.

“Thunk!” Caroline yelled, her eyes opening wide as she saw the blob of grey goo hit Mal on the side of his nose. “Ba’ you got warts. Porridge warts.”

Mal wiped the last little bits of his face. “Who threw that? Food ain’t for wasting. It’s too expensive.” He looked around the room. Wasn’t Jayne, man didn’t believe in wasting food. Caroline, nope he’d been looking at her when the stuff had landed. Kaylee or Simon; nope they’d both finished breakfast much earlier. That left River. “River.” Niu shi, what else was there to say.

“River!” Kaylee echoed.

“Moonbrain, shoulda figured” chuckled Jayne.

“Mei-mei.” Simon was horrified. “How coul…”

Plop, another blob landed silently sliding down Simon’s face landing on his pristine shirt and sliding down before landing on the shiny crisp medical bag.

“Caroline,” Mal uttered sternly. If he’d done that when he was Caroline’s age; his ma would have smacked him upside the head.

“Caroline!” Kaylee turned from River to Caroline.

“Right on Mini-Mal.” Jayne got up, put his bowl in the sink and walked out of the galley chuckling.

“Simon.” River was indignant.

“What?”

“It’s your turn.”

“Huh?”

She gave him the patented ‘you are such a boob’ look “Captain Daddy, Kaylee, Jayne, you. Captain Daddy, Kaylee, Jayne, and where’s Simon!”

“Huh? Oh.”

“It’s a circle and it’s your turn. “Captain Daddy, Kaylee, Jayne, you. Captain Daddy, Kaylee, Jayne, and you.”

“Sorry. Caroline. Better?” Bratty little sister, seemed to be better today. Better was good. Simon went to get a cloth to clean up the mess that the two ‘children’ had created. It was good to see River getting a chance to be a child; the Alliance had taken her childhood from her at the academy. Maybe this drug combination would work.

“Thank you.” River said very primly inclining her head like a duchess or a Companion.

“Getting in practice for your roles as children?” Mal asked sarcastically drumming his fingers on the table.

Caroline ignored him and actually ate another bite of the grey protein porridge. It was the only thing she could do so she didn’t have to talk. 

“Circle of life, ... it moves us all, through despair and hope, through faith and love, 'till we find our place, on the path unwinding.” River added and then ducked her head down so her hair covered face like a veil. Caroline rolled her eyes at River; she was always spouting off weird stuff like that. She also wished she had hair as long as River’s; but, hers hadn’t grown out that much yet.

Mal ignored River and sat down next to Caroline, noticed that she was eating and hoped that he had pushed the issue off one more morning. “Keep on eatin’ little one; you’re almost done.” He looked over at River who was still ignoring him. “Two of you gonna act like tao shen, naughty children, then you can clean up the galley, mop the floor, wash dishes and whatever else. Don’ want nothing broken neither.”

Mal walked over to where Kaylee was standing. “Lil’ Kaylee, if they give you any problems jest holler. I’m going to go see what’s in those crates with the Doc. Caroline you be good for Kaylee this morning and you’ll get the pastry I saved for you from yesterday.” He patted her on the shoulder and followed a very eager Simon down to the cargo bay.

Simon was almost skipping down to the cargo bay he was so excited. It had been so long since he’d seen, much less used, equipment that was of the caliber that Sol Sapphira produced. It felt like Christmas, his birthday, Easter, Halloween and every other holiday all rolled into one.

They walked into the cargo bay together, Simon almost sprinted down to the crates, Mal just sat down on the stairs to watch. Simon walked around the small stack of boxes trying to decide which one to open first. Walked around once looking at the small boxes, six small boxes, they would all contain pharmaceuticals; medicines which he couldn’t open. He walked around the stack again looking at the large boxes, three large boxes; they would contain medical equipment, equipment he could use. The equipment just needed to be repacked into the crates when they landed on Pythagoras. 

“Shen sheng de gao wan, Doc. Pick one already; I’m not getting any younger.”

“The crates, the small ones they should contain pharmaceuticals. I just wish I could use some of them.” Simon opened the first crate and pulled out a small bottle, caressing it as if it was a lover. It was a bottle of sedatives, heavy duty ones, a type that was commonly used on mental patients. He’d gotten some in their heist on Ariel and tried them on River. They hadn’t worked too well by themselves; but, a very low dose in concert with other drugs had produced a cocktail that had worked for a short while.

From his pocket Simon pulled out a green marking pen and put the date on the bottom of the bottle. His writing like everything else he did was precise and perfect. “I believe that by writing the date on the bottom as I do on all of the medical supplies in the infirmary they will pass inspection by anyone who cares to look.”

“How you going to tell them apart from our supplies?”

“The pen is green; I mark everything of ours in blue.”

“Ahhh….” Mal watched Simon for another minute; an idea occurred to him. “Hey Simon? Are there any vaccines in there?”

“Not so far.” Simon continued working marking each bottle carefully. “Why?”

“Be nice to speed up Caroline’s vaccines schedule a little.”

Simon quickly scanned the bottles in the case. “No, this crate is all narcotics, sedatives, stuff like that.”

“Okay. Tell me if you find anything.” Mal watched Simon for a few more minutes and then headed off to go and do Captain-y things; Serenity’s account books hadn’t been updated for quite a while. Been busy with things; this whole being a father thing was time consuming. Caroline and River should be cleaning and then doing lessons for a couple more hours. He needed to check with Wash and see if he’d managed to ungarble the wave they’d gotten from Badger.

It took Simon about two more hours to work through the six boxes. He marked and cataloged each bottle, vial, and tin. Getting through the six small crates was laborious; his reward was the three large crates.

“River! Give it back to me! River, it’s mine. River!”

Simon looked up to see Caroline chasing River with Kaylee right behind the two of them.

“What are you all up to now? Mei-mei. Give Zoey, Jane, or whatever else you took back.” It still boggled Simon to see how loving Jayne was with the little girl; and that she’d named the little doll Jayne had gotten her on Hillard Jane. So she had a horse named Zoey, and a doll named Jane.

“I don’t have anything Simon.” River chortled as she pirouetted across the top of cargo bay. She leapt gracefully across the opening and landed on the uppermost Sol Sapphira crate. With one more leap she was one the ground. The look of horror on Simon’s face when she landed on the top crate was priceless.

“She has my nose! River took my nose.” Caroline yelled as she thundered down the stairs chasing after River.

Kaylee had vanished; Simon imagined that she had gone into Inara’s shuttle for a breather from the madness. Simon turned back to the three large crates. It was like Christmas. “Christmas! Holy Mary Mother of Jesus!”

“Simon, it’s just me, Kaylee; whatcha doin’?”

“Kaylee. You startled me. I wasn’t expecting… Figured you, Inara … breather, …” He stuttered, and pointed around the cargo bay.

“Simon, you aren’t making any sense.”

“Uh, I figured you went into Inara’s shuttle to escape the cacophony that they were making.” Simon said absently running his hands through his hair pointing at Inara’s shuttle then to the door where the combat booted trio had thundered in from, and then pointing at the hatch through which they’d unceremoniously departed as loudly as they’d come.

Kaylee playfully smacked him on the shoulder “No silly. I took River’s nose. Then River took Caroline’s.” 

“Oh.”

She looked at the crates “Whatcha doing?”

“Cataloging the inventory of the Captain’s latest cargo.”

“I see; do you need any help?”

“Umm… uh… no, I think I’m fine.” Simon responded looking longingly at the three large crates. He really didn’t want to share. “For right now, I might need help later.”

“Ok.” And Kaylee skipped out leaving Simon to the three large crates.

Simon walked around the three large crates deciding which one to open first. In the distance he heard the Captain hollering “If you break your heads open I ain’t fixing it.” He seemed to be yelling things like that a lot lately. He very carefully un-stacked the three crates setting them on the floor, and walked around them again.

The crates, there were two that were the same size, and one that was a little smaller. He circled them one more time before deciding on the top large crate. He unbuttoned his shirtsleeves and rolled them up to his elbows. The large crate that would be the first one he opened. Simon caressed the top gently, slowly trailing his fingers across the carefully printed words. He gently unclasped the crate and slowly opened it revealing the treasure within.

A next generation holo-imager; a portable holo-imager. He’d only read about this model, top of the line, brand new, and his for the next two weeks. Simon licked his lips and pulled out the first piece, then the second, and the third. He ran his long fingers down the textured metal cover, learning the subtleties of the surface as he wished to learn Kaylee’s. Savoring each moment, he could smell the unique smell that was brand new medical equipment. It was as exciting as the sweet musk of a woman. He hadn’t felt this excited about the smell of new plastics and enameled metal since his father gave him his first scanner. He now understood how she felt about Serenity, the love and the passion; however, equipment didn’t speak to him like it did to Kaylee. He was probably going to need her help assembling the components.

Simon looked in the box again and saw the manual. He pulled out the electronic manual, carefully placed all of the holo-imager parts back into the crate and sat down on the floor and began to read.

Simon stretched still reading, and unbuttoned the collar of his starched white shirt. Since he was only one on board Serenity who cared much about personal appearances, other than Inara, he usually got laundry duty. Wash had thanked him for it once saying: ‘Since you’ve started doing the laundry we’re not getting any more pink clothes like when Jayne or Zoë do it. They just throw everything in together.’

“Doc, what’cha doin’ settin’ on the floor? There is chairs on this boat.”

Simon looked up to see Jayne holding a towel; he must have been coming down to do his daily weight lifting sets. He realized from the stiffness in his body that a couple of hours must have passed; and that he was going to need Kaylee’s help in assembling the imager. “Uh no, I need to go find Kaylee.”

“Doc, you look like you just had some of the best sexin’ in your life. What’cha got there titty mags? Babes of Boro’s? I was goin’ to get the latest issue when we were planetside; but, I ran out of time.”

“No Jayne; not the ‘Babes of Boros.’ It’s the operations manual for the Sol Sapphira portable holo-imager.”

“I get it. You get your rocks off reading about how to see inside people. Weird if you ask me. Gorram weird. I got a lin-ger-y catalog that works just shiny.”

“Wo de ma, Jayne, can you get any cruder? Lingerie, it is pronounced lawn-ger-ey you uncivilized ape.” Simon left the cargo bay looking for Kaylee; he figured he should stop by his infirmary and get another pen. His was running out of ink. That and he didn’t want Jayne to realize how close to the mark he was.

“Wo de ma, Caroline what have you done to my infirmary?” Simon stopped in the door and looked around, every drawer and cabinet door was opened. He was very surprised to see Caroline in the infirmary; she usually avoided it at all costs.

“I cut my knee up.” She looked up at him with tears in her eyes and what looked like a half a roll of tape around her knee.

He could stay mad at her just about as much as he could at River. “Ok, let me look at it.” He lifted her up to the examining table.

“Ya ain’t gonna stick me are ya?” She asked in a scared voice.

“No.” Simon sighed and began to unwrap the tape, missing the holo-imager. “Don’t see why I’d need to; what did you do to yourself? Why aren’t you wearing any shoes?”

It was the first skinned knee he’d treated on Serenity; the norm ran more towards gunshot wounds, broken bones, and contusions. He’d patched up Caroline’s cut foot the week before; she’d cut it by stepping on something in the cargo bay. The captain had told her that she needed to wear shoes down there now.

“I fell trying to find River, we was playing Hide-n’-Seek. River don’t wear shoes.”

“We were.”

“Huh?”

“We were playing Hide-n’-Seek. We were…” Simon finished unwrapping the roll of tape; and cleaned out her knee trying to be as gently as possible, all the while trying to work as fast as possible so that he could go back to the holo-imager.

“We were playing Hide-n’-Seek.”

“Why didn’t you tell the Captain? He would have fixed you up.”

Caroline’s eyes welled up again. “He said iff’n we broke ourselves he wasn’t gonna fix it.”

“Yes, I remember him saying that. I’m sure he was joking Caroline. I’m sure he was joking.” Simon felt awkward comforting her. 

“You ain’t gonna tell him are you?” She asked in a faltering voice, still a little scared.

“If you don’t want to tell him, you don’t need to. I won’t.” He lifted her down from the table and fairly pushed her out the door. He didn’t want to take the time to explain doctor-patient privilege to her. Simon didn’t even try to listen to her chest; he’d been monitoring the wheeze in her chest since her physical. It was a fight every time he tried listen, she hated the stethoscope. Caroline hated anything medical related. Right now all Simon wanted was to be alone with the crates of medical equipment. Serenity seemed to be conspiring against him opening the crates. 

Simon sighed and started to re-organize the infirmary. It was a mess reminiscent of something that Jayne would do. “Mini-Jayne is more like it,” he muttered to himself as he began picking up the mess. Luckily Caroline was fairly short, and hadn’t gotten into any of the overhead cabinets so it didn’t take too long.

The anticipation was growing within Simon. He was dying to know what was in the other two big crates; it was growing within him like a wild animal. So instead of finding Kaylee and asking for help on the holo-imager Simon sprinted back to the cargo bay. He passed Inara in the passage as she was heading to make a cup of tea in the galley. She flattened herself up against the bulkhead and watched him shaking her head in amazement as the young doctor pranced by.

Simon made it back to the cargo bay in record time. He was panting and out of breath when he reached the precious crates. There were two left to open. Which crate would be next? The other large one or the smaller crate

Jayne was still lifting weights; grunting with every progressive set. Shepard must be busy doing something else; they usually lifted weights together. Simon didn’t even notice him as he circled the crates like a predator circles its prey. Simon muttered to himself as he stared at the two remaining boxes: ‘Good things always come in little blue boxes’ as mother used to say, although she was talking about jewelry not medical equipment.

He reached out and caressed the small crate before turning to the larger one. Save the best for last. He ran his fingers over the roughened plastic feeling the smoothness of the printed words and the nubbly texture of rest of the crate which contrasted with the cold metal of the locking mechanism.

“Doc, are you gonna’ open that thing; or just fondle it?”

Simon snapped back to reality and looked over seeing Jayne sitting on the weight bench. 

“I’m sorry; what did you say Jayne?”

“Ya’ gonna open that gorram crate or jest make love to it?

Simon sighed and snapped open the locks gently opening the case. He lifted up the protective foam and knelt down on the floor so that he could better see what was inside. Jayne didn’t deserve a response. Looking at the contents of the box he saw that it was all spare parts. He carefully marked each one with the green pen and laid them to the side. When he was done he very precisely put them back; unless someone really knew what they were looking fore they would never be able to tell that the crate had ever been opened.

Simon looked around the cargo bay; Jayne was gone. That was nice, it was quiet. Simon had stopped wearing a timepiece of any type while they’d been on Serenity. Time was immaterial in the black. They took the schedule of whatever planet they were one; and in the black it was always dark so they set their own schedule. 

There was one crate left. The smallest crate, Simon unbuttoned his vest and laid it over the stack of pharmaceutical boxes.

He ran his hands across the nubbly surface, down the rubber seam, and over the cool metal lips, which kept the secrets within safe; finally flicking the locks open. He opened the lid and let out a low moan originating deep from within his soul. Simon gently lifted out the protective foam reaching into the cleft that it revealed. A small case was the first item he pulled out; he opened it and revealed a set of surgical instruments. An inter-cranial surgical set, neurosurgery it had been Simon’s second choice of specialty after trauma surgery. The probes, micro-scalpels, nano-cameras, and miniaturized monitoring devices were things of exquisite beauty. They could bring pain, relief, and joy.

“What’ cha doing Doc?”

Simon looked up to see Wash looking at him. It was frustrating to say the least the way everyone kept interrupting him. “Hmm… I’m cataloging the medical equipment that is going to Pythagoras.”

“I see. It looked like you were doing other things. Jayne things.”

“Jayne things?”

“Well, you know? Jayne things.” And Wash started imitating Jayne.

Chuckling Simon responded “No, nothing that exciting, I’m afraid. My skills don’t lean towards being a rutting ape, I’m just cataloging equipment.” He turned back towards the crate, and completely tuned Wash and all of Serenity’s noises and vibrations out. He felt only the textures contained within the crate, saw only its contents, and smelled only the metallic musk that it released.

He lifted up the next layer of foam, closed his eyes, and felt cool smooth metal under his fingers. It made them tingle. It was electric. 

He allowed himself to look at what was inside the layer. Metal clamps, restraints, and vises to prevent the patient and more importantly their cranium from moving in the midst of delicate surgery. The way he liked a woman when he was exploring the depths of passion: still aching to move. This was universal equipment which would convert any type of surface into a surgery.

“Doctor Simon, Doc, its dinner. Shepard sent me to get you.” Simon looked up again, frustrated almost to the point of anger to be bothered again. This time he saw Caroline calling down to him from the catwalk. “Doc it’s dinner. Ain’t you hungry?”

Looking down at the open crate; now emptied of its glories Simon realized that he was hungry; and the last meal he had eaten was breakfast. Standing, stretching, and starting towards the galley he did a mental inventory in his head: pharmaceuticals, holo-imager, inter-cranial surgical set, and operating table equipment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gao se – Crap  
Gorram -- Damn  
Mei-mei – Little Sister  
Nian qing de – Young One  
Niu shi -- Cow dung  
Shen sheng de gao wan -- Holy testicle Tuesday (I saw this used some time ago in someone else’s fanfic and have been dying to use it!)  
Tao shen – Naughty Child  
Wo de ma -- Mother of God  
Xin gan – Sweetheart


	11. Jonah 1.17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone that has read my exploration of the Firefly ‘verse:. Whereintheworld thank you for the conversation; you keep my spirits up.
> 
> Translations are at the end.

**Jonah 1:17** And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

“Jayne, Jayne. Where ya goin’?” Caroline yelled careening around the corner and crashing into his legs.

“Going to lift weights, Mini-Mal.” He said lifting her and doing bicep curls with her. It was one of Caroline’s favorite things to have Jayne toss her around. He was the biggest strongest person she’d ever met. Jayne held her upside down and tickled her feet all the while still walking towards the cargo bay. Caroline was shrieking in laughter. “What cha doin’? Ain’t you got lessons or sumpin?”

“Finished them. Did adding, subtracting and spelling today. Shepard said someone should help me with my words. I don’t like spelling, it’s hard.”

Jayne grunted and spun Caroline right side up. “Didn’t like it much either. Always did a lot better in Geography.”

“Geography, what’s that?”

“Places. The names of places, where they is, and who lives there.” Jayne flipped her sideways and started tickling her stomach with his bristly face.

When she could catch her breath Caroline asked “You gonna teach me that? Everyone else is teachin’ somethin’. ‘Nara’s teachin’ me ta talk all fancified; so as I seem like a zang shang liu core person. Knife stuff don’t count. That’s fun!” Jayne and Caroline had been doing fighting lessons in the cargo bay; mostly knife fighting. Mal had grudgingly agreed; his logic for agreeing was she had a knife when she showed up; and could kind of use it. The discipline associated with the skill would be good for her; plus it would keep her occupied and out of trouble.

They got to the hatch leading to the cargo bay. “Mebbe. This is where you get off little one.” Jayne made like he was going to drop her on her head before he gently set her down on her feet. “Need shoes to be in here.”

“Bye Jayne, I’m gonna go paint clouds with River. Ba’ says I gotta wear my old clothes to paint.” Caroline waved and skipped off.

Jayne nodded and walked down into the cargo bay. Kid seemed a lot happier now than when she had first showed up. She wasn’t pulling her disappearing act much anymore; when she first showed up she’d disappear for hours and come out looking weird. Jayne grinned to himself, she really liked the little doll he’d gotten her. He looked around the cargo bay; Simon was running his hands over the crates going to Pythagoras like he was going to hump ‘em. Gorram doc and his moon-brain sister were pieces of work.

Mal could hear the shrieking from his place at the dining room table -- made it gorram hard to concentrate on the books. It sounded like they were really running around; maybe Caroline would sleep through the night without any nightmares for once.

“If you break your heads open I ain’t cleaning it up” he bellowed, although it was a good thing that she was having fun, and wasn’t hauling that stuffed horse everywhere. Girl deserved a childhood. She’d even let Inara fix it – it now looked kinda’ like a horse again. It still only had three legs; but, she’d refilled it and sewed it closed and added yarn to give it a mane and tail.

“Ni ta ma de,” he thought to himself, “mother humper.” The columns of numbers were starting to fuzz and become double. “Sleep, sleep would be good. How many nights have I been up with the little one? Last night it had been dreams of giant whales, giant purple whales that ate people. Whales that were taking away Golensa away?”

Mal shook his head staring at the books “Whales.”

“Whales, Sir?”

Mal looked up to see Zoë standing in the galley holding a glass with a very quizzical look on her face. She had a glow around her, a glow that screamed good sex. Mal ignored that and talked to her hair “Caroline dreamed about purple whales last night. Purple bellied whale takin’ away Golensa; one had her in its belly. Kept her awake for the better part of the night.”

“Well we all got our nightmares. Gotta figure out how to deal with them individually.”

“Yep Zo, we all have our own demons.” The two of them shared a look that spoke more then words ever could. It spoke of war and peace. Good times and bad. Sickness and health. 

Kaylee wandered in hunting for a snack, breaking the moment. She wasn’t too fond of the grey goopy gao se either, and had taken to eating a much lighter morning meal then she was used to. Zoë was looking all kinds of satisfied, had kind of a glow around her tousled hair. Made Kaylee all kinds of envious, she wished that someone would make her feel that way. Simon didn’t even look at her anymore since he’d gotten that holo-imager.

Mal looked over at Kaylee, “your turn to cook dinner tonight, mei-mei?”

She grinned over at them “Nope, River’s cookin’; got some grand idea ‘bout sumpin she said we all must eat tonight. Sumpin about Simon Surprise, I don’ know.”

Zoë looked at Kaylee and then Mal “You helpin’ her?” 

Mal looked over at Kaylee “Certainly hope you are. Her last effort was quite interesting; and inedible if I remember correctly.”

“Of course I’m helpin’ her Cap.”

“Jonah, the story of Jonah and the whale. Whale ate Jonah, stomach three moon cycles. Shepard’s symbol tells it. Whale vomited Jonah up; people taste bad.” Everyone turned to look at River standing in the door her hair hanging in dark streams down and her shoulders.

“So, Shepard’s telling my nǚ hair bible stories.” Zoë left taking Wash a snack of protein crackers.

“I think it’s shiny. Mom used to tell us all bible stories back at home after dinner. We’d all be sittin’ round her in the living room she’d have her sewing; ba’ would have some engine part he was tryin’ to fix at the table. The boys would be playing cards or checkers.”

“Right shiny, keep her up all night. Keep me up all night, just what I need to keep everything together.”

“Cap, I’m sure he don’t mean no harm. Shepard’s a good man. Telling her stories he knows. They’re good stories.”

“Don’t want no preachin’ on my boat. This ain’t no gorram church. Don’t want no preacher man spouting off gibberish, warp her mind.”

“The LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.” 

Kaylee and Mal watched as River walked around the galley seemingly in a trance telling the story of Jonah.

“Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.”

Mal glared alternating between River and Kaylee. “I’ll get her outta here; leave you to your broodin” Kaylee said.

As soon as Kaylee touched River her head snapped around. “Girl in the box. Jonah made her come out.”

“What are you talkin’ about?” 

“Back into the box, Shepard, Jonah, calm.”

Kaylee looked at Mal. “I think she’s saying that Jonah and the whale is the story that Shepard Book told Caroline when she was hiding after we found her. Am I right bao-bei?” River nodded yes, shook off Kaylee, and pirouetted out of galley. A fragile looking little bird in big combat boots.

“Least Jayne ain’t tellin’ her ghost stories ‘bout reavers or other stuff” Kaylee added.

He crossed his arms and pushed back in his chair sighing “True nuff, true nuff, gotta be thankful for the small things.”

Kaylee looked at Mal, looked at the ledger in front him and bounced out of the galley “I gotta go work on some wiring in the bridge; don’t want my Cap’n mad at me.”

“Too gorram cheerful,” muttered Mal slamming the account book shut. 

“I’m a mean old man, you best remember that” he yelled after the vanishing figure of Kaylee. A nap was what he needed, Mal stood up, stretched, picked up his account book. Mal planned to walk up to the bridge after dropping the book down into his now shared quarters. He looked around and saw girl clothes scattered around, draped across the bench, and over his bed. Zoey, the horse, was dangling by its tail from the ceiling. Pink frippery was scattered across the floor, furniture, and bunks. His clothing drawers were opened had been gone through. His one spare pair of suspenders was tied to the bench.

“Caroline!” Mal smacked the comm button, although the whole ship could hear him without the added amplification “Caroline, get down here now.” He was bellowing so loud that the comm system acted as an echo.

A minute later a small tousled head popped down the hatch. “What?”

“What in the gorram hell has happened in here?” Mal was scowling sternly up at her. “Get down here.”

Caroline slowly climbed down the ladderwell and looked around “Playing.”

“Ya’ done?”

“Nope.”

“Yer done now.”

“No, I ain’t.” Her chin went up mulishly in response to Mal’s emphatic tone. 

“Not gonna repeat myself. Yer going to pick everythin’ up right now.”

“No, I ain’t” Caroline added emphatically stamping her bare foot. “Can’t make me.”

Mal picked her up by the back of her overalls and gave her a shake “Yes, I can. And yes you will.” 

Dr. Spock had said to expect incidents like this when children were adjusting to new authority figures and new environments. He said that they were testing the boundaries of their behavioral envelope. Some psycho-babble like that.

“Ain’t fair; no one else has gotta keep their berths clean. Jayne don’t.”

“Nope, he don’t. He also ain’t sharin’ his bunk with me.”

“Ain’t fair.”

“Life ain’t fair. And why you arguin’ what’s been decided?”

“You can’t tell me what to do! You ain’t my ba’! Ma wouldn’ make me do the stuff you make you do.”

“I ain’t your ma. Don’t want to hear one more word outta you.”

“I hate you!” Caroline stomped her bare foot again, curled her toes back and kicked Mal in the shin.

Mal wished he was anywhere in the ‘verse but in this compartment right now. Anything would be better than dealing with her, dealing with this, right now. He reached over and grabbed back hold of her pulled her over his knee as he sat on the bench in front of his desk. Caroline started whimpering as soon as his hand smacked her bottom the first time; by the third smack she was crying; the fifth she was sobbing.

“Don’t think Kaylee, ‘Nara, and the rest of them would want to see all their work bein’ treated like this.” He smacked her butt again, and again peppering her sit spot with smacks. When he was done Mal held Caroline close, rubbed her back, and whispered into her hair over and over that he loved her. Finally she stopped crying, and was just whimpering.

Mal finally understood what his mother had said when she’d paddled him and said “This hurts me more than it hurts you.” Caroline’s rear might be sore; but, Mal’s heart felt broken.

Mal stood up settin’ Caroline on her feet. “You get this cleaned up. I don’t want nothin’ like this happening again. You’re gonna stay in here till chow. Dong ma?” He headed the ladder leaving a sniffing child standing in the middle of her mess.

“Shirrah. Cap’n. Shirrah.”

Quiet, peace and quiet. That was what he needed. Why couldn’t anything ever go smooth? Mal headed towards the bridge, figuring he’d go check the course, and be alone with the stars for the while. Reaching the bridge, he paused and took his a look out at the stars they held him in awe as they always did. It looked like Kaylee had finished with whatever she’d been up here doing. He settled down in the pilot’s chair and just looked out at the black. He let himself relax and mull through the events of the day at his own speed. Mal closed his eyes and propped his feet up on the control panel and drifted off to sleep.

“Funny looking large creature, wake up. It’s dinner.” Mal opened his eyes to see a plastic Apatosaurus being waved in his face. “We will have to call in reinforcements if he doesn’t move soon. Send in squirming squealing women type creatures.”

“Rrrr…” growling appeared appropriate as he saw Wash having a conversation with a blue dinosaur. It was an Apatosaurus he’d learned the names of the dinosaurs that sat perched around the cockpit since Wash had come on board. Zoë and Kaylee knew ‘em all too; Zoë knew them best of all of them. Although since she was married to Wash, that was to be expected.

“The female beings cooked something special.”

“Smells fishy, what’s the occasion?”

“Fish. Exactly, strange looking human.” Wash set the dinosaur down on the nav screen and headed down to the fish dinner that had been cooked.

“Fish? Where’d they get gorram fish? We haven’t been planetside in a while.”

“That is a secret, one of the great secrets of the verse.” Mal stretched and followed Wash down to the galley. Everyone was already down there; it was its usual hive of activity. Caroline was setting the table, with Zoey tucked into the bib of her overalls. The horse was present again, that usually meant that she either wasn’t sure or wasn’t too happy about something. River was at the stove looking industrious; Kaylee was humming some annoying jingle that she must have gotten from the cortex, and furtively watching Simon. Shepard Book was sitting at the table reading, and Zoë, Inara and Jayne were sitting in the common area talking. Simon was reading what looked like the manual to the holo-imager. Boy was too interested in that machine if you asked him.

“Cap, I hope you don’t mind I went got Caroline.” Kaylee said from the counter from where she was watching River and Caroline.

At the mention of her name Caroline looked up hesitantly at Wash and Mal.

“Smells good.” Mal said nodding his assent to Kaylee’s question and looking quizzically at River. “What cha cooking?”

“Salmon Surprise for Simon.”

“Huh, sounds good. When’s it going to be ready?”

“It’s ready now.” River responded carrying the casserole dish to the table. Kaylee was right behind her with a basket of bread.

Mal looked around, and spoke to the gathered crew. “Chows on; get it while it’s hot.”

Everyone scrambled for a seat, salmon was a nice break from protein. Even if it was rehydrated fish. Plates were passed; Shepard Book said grace silently to his plate. Most everyone studiously ignored him. 

“Crazy girl; this ain’t half bad.” Jayne said around a mouthful of food.

When Simon finally got his plate he looked down at the pink chunk of stuff on it. He poked it once, twice “Mei-Mei, what is this?”

“Simon Salmon Surprise.”

“She made it with Mr. Ricky’s dehydrated rehydrated Salmon treats.” Kaylee added “Don’t know where she got em; haven’t eaten any of them since we left Oeneus” realizing that mentioning ‘The Fish Job’ might still be too fresh in Mal’s mind she looked over at him “Dui bu qi, Cap. Didn’t mean to bring that up.”

“That’s ok, Li’l Kaylee.”

“Good grub River,” Wash added waving his fork in the air.

“Very nice,” Shepard contributed “What spicing did you use?”

“Dried dill.” River said staring at the ceiling. “Surprise inside whale, Jonah. Surprise inside Serenity, salmon.”

The din of dinner time conversation quieted as everyone was eating heartily. It was a very nice change from molded protein. Simon was staring petulantly at his Salmon Surprise. He really hated fish, and River knew that. Why would she call this gao se Simon’s Salmon Surprise? Had she squirreled away some dehydrated fish for all this time? Simon went back to thinking about the holo-imager -- maybe that would distract him from the food. This was better then the bouillabaisse, fish stew, that mother’s cook made. Fish soup, drug soup that’s what Mal’s blood had been when they’d freed him from the Alliance station on Oeneus. The few marks that remained on him were covered by hair and the last time he’d checked Mal out he was recovering fine, physically. Still he needed to put on a little weight. 

“The walls aren’t solid. They have doors that swing. Open, closed. Monsters sneak out.”

“Moonbrain girl’s spouting crazy stuff again. Shut her up Doc.”

Simon looked up at River, eyes darting from River, to Jayne, to Mal and back again. “It’s not crazy, it makes perfect sense. Monsters sneak out.” Simon got from the table dropping his chopsticks on the floor and sprinted out leaving his napkin in the wake of his path.

“Huh, what’s goin’ on?” Jayne sputtered.

Mal put his chopsticks and napkin on the table and followed Simon. “I intend to find out.”

Everyone else was right behind Mal. When they got down to the cargo bay they found Simon madly sorting through the pharmaceuticals and muttering to himself “sedatives, holo-imager, inter-cranial micro-surgery. I’m an idiot, a hun-dan sa-gua, a stupid idiot.”

Jayne chuckled and smacked his leg “I’ve been sayin’ that forever!”

River was trailing behind the group shaking her head. “Yu ben de, silly brother slow to catch on.”

“Doc, what’s goin’ on here?” Mal asked thinking that Simon was rapidly turning into his moonbrained sister.

Simon looked helplessly up at Mal. “They’re doing it.”

“Who’s doing what? And to whom?”

“This is interrogation equipment. Those rebels are going to do to other people what the Alliance did to you on Oeneus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess this is an ending note; but, ‘The Fish Job’ is one of the best Firefly fanfics out there! It's pretty old now; but, it is good -- you can find it over on fanfiction.net. So give Mal4Prez’s fab story the attention it deserves and give it a read. And thanks all for reading.
> 
> Bao bei -- Precious/treasure  
Dong ma? – Understand?  
Dui bu qi -- I’m sorry/forgive me  
Gao se -- Crap  
Gorram – Damn  
Hun dan -- Stupid  
Mei-mei – Little Sister  
Ni ta ma de -- Mother humper  
Nǚ hair – Daughter  
Sa gua -- idiot  
Shirr ah – Affirmative  
yu ben de -- stupid, foolish, silly  
zang shang liu - filthy, upper class


	12. Children Underground

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first time I’ve used a little known movie as the chapter title, and my first venture out of pure fluff. But, once again I dreamed about it. Learned an important lesson; never watch depressing documentaries when you have PMS, had a fight with your husband, and drunk two glasses of wine. So this is again another story about grey goop. I found it haunting and felt that Caroline’s background in many ways mirrored that of the street children of Romania. I was sobbing by the end of Children Underground; but, then I do admit that when I’ve got PMS I’ll cry over a Hallmark advert. 
> 
> Oh yeah, and this is probably about an M rating give or take a little. Drug use by kids is an adult theme! Please take note.
> 
> Translations and some notes are at the end.

Kaylee was lost in thought as she was doing breakfast duty. She was the only crew member on board with the patience to make it through breakfast with Caroline; probably because she’d grown up with lots of little ones running around. Simon’s mustache, it made him look really different; but, that was the point, to look really different. A lip ferret is what Zoë called Wash’s when he’d had one. Inara had said that since it wasn’t growing in too quickly she’d fill it out a little today. Extensions, hair extensions, fancy that. A man getting hair extensions on his face -- that was funny.

Breakfast was in the common room today, not the galley. Still had all of the holo-imager’s wiring diagrams spread over the table. The physical guts of the holo-imager were spread across the cargo bay. River and Caroline were kneeling at one of the small tables in the common room. Kaylee was sitting at the dining room table keeping one eye on her charge and staring at wiring diagrams with the other. She and Wash had been poring over them for what seemed like days, and just looking at them made Kaylee’s eyes buggy. They were pretty sure they had it mostly figured out.

“I ain’t eatin’ that!”

“Caroline, that’s breakfast.” Kaylee rolled her eyes, reverie broken. “Everyone else is eatin’ it. Sides you don’t got much choice. What’s the Cap’n goin’ ta say?”

“Still ain’t eatin’ that.” Caroline looked at River who was pushing her spoon around in the bowl “It’s gross. Tastes like niu shi. An food taint that color. Ain’t natural, foods not grey, Aurolac is that color.”

“Niu shi” River added emphatically, her hair drooping over the bowl like a waterfall. “Bad, like lip ferrets. Second chances.”

“Aurolac? Little one, what’s that?”

The stream of dark hair lifted as the grey goop slid off River’s silver spoon in a plop-plop motion, much like throwing a rock into a running river. “Aurolac is paint thinner. It is highly toxic and commonly used by the homeless as an inhaled drug. It provides a quick, low-cost high, makes you forget hunger and provides an escape. Side effects include destruction of the liver, kidneys, and lungs. Users have a tell tale silver marks on their faces and hands.”

“Huffing.” Caroline stuck her spoon in the bowl and pulled it back out watching the grey stuff slide off it in clumps. “River, it’s huffing. I am not eating this niu shi. Do you wanna try it? I ain’t eating this; I’d rather go hungry.”

Kaylee’s head spun as she tracked Caroline’s quick turn sentences. She realized that she’d had a sheltered life compared to most of the other females on Serenity. Zoë had seen her family slaughtered by the Alliance. River had been tortured by them, and Caroline… Caroline had lived in the worst section of Persephone, running from the Alliance, and living in abject poverty. Living in a society where it was accepted to inhale the fumes of industrial solvents. Inhaling to forget, to forget about what was happening and all that would never change. Hopelessness. “You ain’t never tried that Caroline have you?”

“Yuh, some.” Caroline stirred the protein porridge taking a bite. “Everyone at the docks did it. I goth some; you wanna try it?” She said around a mouthful of porridge.

“The docks.” Horrified Kaylee sat down hard in the nearest chair. “Why were you down there? It’s not safe there. What did your mother do?”

Caroline took another bite and then looked at Kaylee like she was from another planet (which she was actually). “Duh, we lived there; of course it was safe. Didn’t go to the other side, that’s where the Alliance was mostly. Two Snouts said I was the best pickpocket in all the docks. Ma found out I huffed, she beat the shit outta me. Alliance goons found us, cause I was cryin’ and threw us in the clink. We was hidin’ and they were doing a sweep to remove the un-sirables. That’s what ma said we were called, un-sirables.” 

“Undesirables, mei-mei.” Kaylee gently said when Caroline looked over at her for confirmation on the word.

“They took me to this swai doctor who poked me with needles; he said that ma broke a couple of my ribs. She didn’t do no such thing. That was Two-Snouts, said I didn’t get ‘nough wallets the day ‘fore. Kicked me. Purple bellies put me in a home. I ran away, went back to the docks, found ma. They’d let her go.”

“Qing wa cao de liu mang.” Kaylee gasped. How could someone be so matter of fact about such horror?

“Ma said she didn’t want me doin’ no niu shi that would kill me. Said it would make me into her. Didn’t want me to be like her.” Caroline paused to take another bite, an unprompted bite and Kaylee’s eyes got wider. “Said I could be anything I wanted. Didn’t have to be no used up junky whore, I could be anything. Maybe even a Companion, like, ‘Nara, iffn I wanted.”

Kaylee just looked at River. She couldn’t look at Caroline; if she did she was going to start crying.

River was intently staring at her porridge. “Holes.” She looked up at Kaylee. “Post hole digger. Need a shovel to fill the holes in. Jonah. Whale. Second chances.”

Realizing she was going to start crying Kaylee bolted from the room leaving Caroline and River alone in the common area.

Caroline spun her spoon around wondering if the blob of porridge would fall off or hit the wall. “What’s up with Kaylee? Why you talkin’ about second chances? Jonah was swallowed; didn’t have nothing to do with second chances.”

“Holes, she doesn’t have any. Innocence, the essence of purity. She is all lightness, we are shadows. Jonah and the symbol. Whale gave a second chance for life.”

“Uh, huh.” When River got weird, and started spoutin’ moon-brain stuff it was just best to say uh huh and ignore her.

“Any more breakfast left? I’m still hungry.”

“Ape-man, didn’t your three bowls fill you up enough?” River asked.

“Moon brained brat.”

Caroline looked up at Jayne with adoration in her face and stuck her tongue out at River. “He’s not an ape-man. He’s the biggest, strongest, bestest man in the ‘verse. Super Gorilla, like in the cartoons.”

Jayne tousled her short hair. “Ain’t nothin’ like that mini-Mal. Whatcha doin’ today?” Jayne went into the galley grabbed a bowl, a spoon, and served himself some porridge.

“Hair, Miss ‘Nara’s dying my hair so me n’ River look like sisters.” Caroline put her now empty bowl in the sink and went back for Kaylee’s. At breakfast, mostly everyone had to wash their own dishes. Zoë had dish duty at dinner tonight that meant that Wash was going to cook. Wash was an okay cook, better then Jayne –everyone was a better cook then Jayne. His food was worse the Aurolac colored porridge! Well almost everyone was better, Zoe’s food wasn’t any better than that.

“Colorin’ your hair?”

“Yep, I want it to be red. I like red hair.”

“Purple.”

“Normal people don’t have purple hair moon-brain girl.”

“Auburn. I’m dying their hair auburn,” Inara said as she glided in on a cloud of silk. She looked at the two girls eating, thinking that River really looked like a young teen, not someone on the brink of woman-hood. “Caroline, your manners really are improving. Good work little one. Has anyone seen Kaylee? I’m having issues with one of the consoles in my shuttle.”

“She’s in a hole. Fell, didn’t know holes existed. Light, dark. Shadows. Monsters.”

Inara looked over at Jayne, and then Caroline.

“Don’t look at me, she’s gorram crazy. I don’t speak crazy.”

“Jayne.” Inara rolled her eyes at him.

Caroline looked up from washing River’s porridge bowl “Kaylee’s upset. Something about the docks. Not sure. Can we watch cartoons when you do our hair? I like cartoons.”

“Yes, bao-bei. You two can watch cartoons on the cortex when I do your hair.” Caroline cheered, River mused, and Inara glided out looking for Kaylee.

“Where’s Kaylee, little one?” Mal asked as he wandered in with an empty coffee cup in his hand and looking at the wiring diagrams and notes scattered across the table.

“Whad idth thith” Jayne grumped with his mouth full “a gorram train station?”

“Everyone wants Kaylee. Ain’t no one wants to talk with us.” Caroline mumbled contemplating what cartoon they were going to watch.

“Not ain’t.” River looked over at Caroline. “We’re all fancified now.” She said imitating Jayne’s demeanor and making apelike movements causing everyone in the room to laugh.

Caroline threw the towel at Jayne and also mimicked River “Super Gorilla, just like in the cartoons, you can wash your own bowl.”

“Dry-run from now on in. Couple of days, we should run into the blockade off Pythagoras. You all ready?” Mal looked at each crew member in turn. “Jayne?”

Jayne dropped the towel on the counter like it was on fire. He hated anything to do with kitchen duty. “Ready. I’m moon-brain’s and Mini-Mal’s bodyguard. Kaylee’s their nanny.”

“Ya ain’t gonna call them moon-brain and Mini-Mal neither.” He pointed at River and then at Caroline “They’re B'andra and Caroline Smythe, ages fourteen and six. Second and third children of Tran and Abigail Smythe, newly made fortune who wants his off-spring to see their roots.”

“Yep, B'andra and Caroline. Brat one and brat two. Who comes up with names like that B'andra?”

River looked at Jayne. “Utah. They are Utah names.

“Huh, what’s a Utah?”

She gave him the patented you are such a boob look that she usually saved for Simon “Not a thing ape-man, a place. Place on Earth-That-Was.”

She stood up pirouetted around the room “B’andra the beatific” leaving on a pointed toe and perfectly positioned fingers flying like a delicate little bird.

Mal shook his head. “Got it little one? You’re B’andra the beatific’s little sister.”

“Yep, I’m Caroline. Admanzah is the oldest, he’s the boy child. In school too old for the trip. Then B’andra, then me, Caroline. Danagail is three years old, and Ethan is still a baby. Momma’s baby boy. A, B, C, D, E. F might be next.”

“Zang shang liu core folk.” Jayne muttered putting his bowl in the sink with a crash and leaving. “I’ll be in my bunk.”

“I’m going to go watch Super Gorilla in ‘Nara’s shuttle, and get new hair. Pretty hair.”

Mal kissed Caroline on the top of her head grabbed a cup of coffee; it smelled like Zoë made it. She made the best coffee on Serenity. “I like your hair just fine the way it is little one. Remember you need to be on your best behavior while we’re planetside. Don’t want anyone thinking you aren’t from the core.”

“I’ll be good. I promise.” Caroline looked up at Mal, “Can I have a sister? Someone to play with?”

Mal just about spit his coffee all over the galley, and the wiring diagrams. Caroline didn’t seem to find anything odd about the question, she just asked and skipped out. He watched her thumping out the hatch in her combat boots. It was a miracle she was wearing any shoes at all. He looked down at his own scuffed boots and went to find Kaylee and Simon and make sure they were ready. Actually it wasn’t Simon now, it was Dr. Merle Mengle, traveling doctor and surgeon and longtime supporter of the Alliance. Mal wanted to know how the re-wiring was going; Wash and Kaylee had spent the entire day and a good part of the night staring at wiring diagrams and trying to figure out how to make the holo-imager only partially functional. Functional enough that it could do some things; but, not enough that it could be used for torture.

“Maybe I should polish my boots” Mal said more to himself than anyone else. Which was a good thing since no-one was there to hear him. It was a much simpler thought then other children, more children. He was worried about Zoë; she’d been walking around looking peaked since Simon had made his grand announcement at dinner. Maybe he should say something to Wash; they needed Zoë in top form for this job. Actually they needed Zoë in top condition for every job. 

Mal went looking for Kaylee; he checked her bunk, she wasn’t there. He looked in the engine room next, and was about to leave until he heard a quiet sniffing coming from the corner. “Kaylee? What’s wrong? Mei-mei?” 

Mal slid down beside Kaylee; sitting down next to her.

“Caroline.” Kaylee answered brokenly. Turning into Mal’s shoulder. 

Mal frantically turned his head. “I just saw her; she’s fine.

Kaylee shook her head emphatically; tears leaking down her face. “Docks, Golensa, too much, saw too much.” She sobbed. “Aurolac, hungry.”

“Calm down; Kaylee, calm down.” He patted her head. “Tell me what’s going on?” 

“She lived down at the docks.” Kaylee calmed down slowly. “She and the other kids picked pockets; and huffed.”

“Yeah, I knew she lived at the docks, and she picked my pocket on Boros. Huffed?”

“River says that is what it is called. Inhaling paint thinner. The kids down at the docks; Caroline says they all did it.”

“Huh.” Mal really didn’t know what to say. What could you say to that. He patted Kaylee’s head some more. “She don’t have to do it anymore.”

“She said she had some.” Kaylee kept sniffing into Mal’s shoulder. 

“Huh.” Mal pondered this for a while. It worried him; he’d seen the kids at the docks with their plastic bags and the silver stains on their faces and hands. They’d walk around with dazed looks on their faces. He needed to check with Wash and see if they’d gotten any news on that garbled wave from Badger.

“Cap’n; River said it’ll do all kinds of bad stuff to her body.”

“Huh.” There wasn’t else much he could say. “I know where her hidey holes are; I’ll go through them and make sure that there ain’t no Aurolac in them.”

Mal kept comforting Kaylee. When she stopped whimpering and wiping her eyes. “Thanks Cap’n. I’m better now. It’s just that poor little girl.”

He stood up; patted Kaylee on the back and headed out of the engine room to check out the hidey holes that Caroline used. He really hoped he didn’t find any Aurolac. He’d have to ask the doc about what that stuff did.

On his way down to the cargo bay Mal walked to the infirmary poked his head in, then the rest of him.

“Merle” thinking to himself that he must think of everyone in their new names: B’andra, Caroline, Merle, Jayne, Kaylee Zoë, Wash, Shepard Book.

“Captain?”

“Are you ready?

Simon turned around showing the slight paunch that Kaylee had helped him make, and the mustache that was growing in. “I am. I am. Does this make me look fat?”

“Yep, that’s the point.” Mal sashayed around in a slow circle indicating for Simon to imitate him so that he could see Dr. Mengle from all sides.

Simon awkwardly imitated Mal, trying to mimic the movements he’d seen his mother do whenever she’d wanted to show off a new piece of clothing. “Dr. Merle Mengle is ready and reporting for duty.” There was only a little sarcasm in Simon’s voice, Mal chose to ignore it.

“Look really right frumpy, Dr. Mengle, right frumpy.” Mal waved his hand in the air indicating for Simon to continue.

“I’m an itinerant physician, obstetrician, and surgeon. I have supported the Alliance since the beginning, and have the paperwork to prove it.” Simon paused for a moment “Who came up with these names anyway? Merle Mengle?”

“Just the names on the paperwork we got.”

“Do you know who Dr. Mengle was?”

“Nope, and I don’t rightly care to.”

“He…”

Mal raised his hand the air.

“But, he was…” Before Simon err… Merle could get any further Mal cut him off.

“What do you know about Aurolac?”

“We saw it some at the hospital.” Simon paused for a minute thinking. “It is a psychoactive inhalant used by the homeless and such. Cheap, easy to obtain, …” 

“What does it do to the users?”

“Ummm…” Simon was trying to figure out why Mal was asking. “It effects the brain, liver, and nerves. A lot of the users get a tell-tale wheeze. You’ll see distinctive silver marks on users hands and faces. Any reason?”

Mal didn’t want to tell anyone yet; but, it did explain why the cabinet of chemicals had been broken into. “Uh.. not yet. I’ve got… Captain-y stuff to do. Thanks.”

Mal quickly left the infirmary. Captain-y stuff, Simon grumped to himself, the man was probably going to go and take a nap somewhere. It was kind of funny; he was playing himself, the old himself. The himself before he became a wanted fugitive.

Mal headed out to look in Caroline’s hiding spots for Aurolac. He never thought this was something he’d have to deal with.

He figured he’d start with the hidey holes closest to the infirmary. The little girl was really learning the ship; but, she still didn’t realize how well sound carried through the ducting that ran all through ship. The duct work carried to and from the scrubber system some carried wiring. Others existed for reasons Mal couldn’t figure out; but, they sure made great places to stash stuff.

Opening the access panel nearest the infirmary Mal showed his light into the dark cable filled abyss. This one had a drop straight down and was only about twelve inches wide before it took a sharp turn under the decking. The turn was sharp enough that there was no way Caroline could fit through it. Heck he didn’t think he could fit his arm through the turn. And there was dust in it – dust that hadn’t been disturbed in a long time; maybe since before he’d gotten Serenity. Huh, should he clean out the dust or leave it there? Leave it; it would be a good way to see if anyone ever went into this particular spot. The dust would stay. On to the next spot.

Mal pulled up a deck panel to look underneath the deck plates. This was a spot they’d used a lot. It got used whenever the cargo bay was too full; or when they didn’t want cargo mixin’. Like when they’d been hauling cattle; and had a couple extra crates that needed to get delivered. Those crates had been small enough to put under the floor boards out of the way, and out of sight. Shining the light down here he could see that the dust had been disturbed. 

Diyu. Hell. He was going to have to go into this one. He could fit into this compartment. Mal slithered into the compartment with the light in front of him scanning to the left and right into the nooks between the ducts and wiring pipes. Nothing, nothing, a whole lot of gorram nothing. Mal reached the bulkhead that signaled the end of the compartment above him. A Firefly class ship was built so that every compartment could be completely sealed off in the case of an emergency; something like an air leak, or flooding, or something. He started sliding backwards taking one last look into each of the possible areas where a bottle of Aurolac could be hidden; he made sure to look up at the floor supports. Most people didn’t think to look up when they were hunting for something. Mal kept sliding backwards. He got into a rhythm; put his arms behind him, push-off, put his arms behind him, push-off, … 

Shen sheng de gao wan; holy testicle Tuesday! He was gorram stuck. His suspenders or pants had caught on something underneath one of the deck plates. Mal didn’t want to rip the pants; these were one of the new pairs he’d picked up on Hilliard. Gorram it; he should have changed before deciding to shimmy around in these spaces. Mal inched forward to see if that would get him off whatever he was snagged on. Nope, that didn’t work. He tried lifting his hips up, and reaching back to see if he could unhook himself. Nope, that didn’t work either. He tried wiggling to the left; nope. Wiggling to the right; nope. 

Mal banged his head against the solid metal plate he was laying on. He didn’t really want to call someone to help him. Wash or Jayne would give him grief about this forever. Zoë would hold it in reserve until she needed something. Simon wouldn’t be able to pick up the plate. Kaylee might be able to with help; the same held true for River. That left Book; but, if he started yelling for Book he didn’t know who would come. 

He waited another minute to see if someone walked by. That was one nice thing about mesh grating; you could see topside. Nope; wasn’t it just his luck not a one person walked by. “Book.” Mal yelled. He seemed to remember that he had been reading in the common area; he should be able to hear Mal.

No response. “Shepard Book.” Mal bellowed, and then banged his head against the plate again.

“Captain?” A feminine voice asked, sounding slightly confused. Mal thought for a second; and decided befuddled was probably a better term.

“Down here, Inara.” Mal said in a resigned voice. Oooh, she’d have fun with this one. Almost as much fun as she had reminding him of the wobbly-head doll caper. This was not good. “Can you get Shepard Book?” He paused for a second. “Please.”

Bending over to squint through the grating; Inara asked “What are you doing?”

“I was looking to see if Caroline had stashed anything down here. Could you go get Book?

Inara tried her best to contain her laughter; but, an errant chuckle escaped. “Mmm… I’m on my way. I think he’s in the common area.” 

“Thanks.” Mal again thunked his head against the floor and waited.

Four heartbeats later; Wash and Zoë walked over. “Sir; that’s a rather interesting spot for you to be in. Do you need anything?”

Mal growled in response to Zoë.

“A spot of tea Captain?” Wash asked affecting a British accent similar to Badger’s.

“Just get me out of here!”

The husband and wife looked at each other and chuckled at each other. A chuckle similar to the one that Inara had let out. They bent over and started to lift up the section of panel that Mal was under.

“Be careful; I don’t want to rip these pants. I just got ‘em.”

“Well, ain’t you just a swai Cap’n. All worried about your pants.”

“Nope; just don’t got a lot a pants.” Mal looked up at Wash and Zoë and saw Inara walk back into the passage way with Kaylee and Simon; which meant that Caroline and probably Jayne weren’t far behind. “Great, just gorram great.”

Wash wiggled his fingers into the grating on one end of the panel; and Zoë put her fingers into the other. Together they lifted the heavy panel, and moved it over to one side; being very careful to not rip the Captain’s pants while they were doing it. 

With a sigh of relief Mal turned over and sat up. Brushing the dust off his shirt, and rolling his neck he stood up. “Well, whadda ya all lookin’ at? Don’ tya all have work to be doin’?” 

Wash and Zoë moved the panel back into its proper position. Mal glared at Simon and Kaylee until they went back towards the common area. He then turned his glare towards Wash who was chuckling.

“Space monkeys.” Was all Wash could get out between chuckles. “Space monkeys.”

“Space monkeys?” Inara asked looking confused again.

“Space monkeys must have made him crawl through the floors. Space monkeys, had to be.”

Everyone just looked at Wash. “Wow, Honey. You sound like River.”

Mal just shrugged his shoulders and went to change into some old clothes so he could finish his scouting mission. He checked out the easily accessible areas, the spots he knew that Caroline could get into , he opened the hidey holes he considered deep cover areas ones that he only used when he didn’t want anyone to find it. These even Mal had trouble getting into, they were behind access panels which were already behind ducting, under or over other hidey holes; they were all equally dusty and not disturbed. 

The only places left were those in the cargo bay. Mal drug his feet as he headed towards the cargo bay. He was pretty sure that Caroline had huffed since she’d been on board; and her favorite hiding spots were the ones in the cargo bay. He’d been thinking about it and he remembered wondering where she’d managed to get silver paint on her a couple of times.

“Caroline, write neatly.” 

“I am.”

“No, you’re not. You’re not trying. Look at how I wrote them.”

Mal listened to the conversation between Kaylee and Caroline coming from the common area and grinned; he’d had similar conversations with his mother and teachers many times. He paused in the doorway, “Caroline, you do good for Kaylee.”

“I am Ba, I am. It’s hard.”

“I know little one, I know. But, it’ll get easier.” Caroline made a face at her paper, Mal shook his head at her and mouthed “Good job” to Kaylee before continuing his slow trek to the cargo bay. Maybe he should shave before he went crawling around the cargo bay; he hadn’t shaved yet today. No, that was just him putting it off. But, he supposed he should go through Caroline’s stuff; make sure she wasn’t hiding anything in his, no their rack.

Diyu; hell. This sucked. Mal climbed down the ladder, he turned in a slow circle. If he was a smuggler where would he hide a bottle of Aurolac? Oh, wait he was a smuggler; and he’d helped with the redesign of this cabin. Washing his hands dried his hands and ran his fingers through his hair. He turned again looking for where to start and decided on the bed. Mal picked up the mattress looking underneath it; nada. He opened the compartment underneath her bunk; nothing but, some clothes, the sari Inara had made her, a couple books Zoë n’ Wash had given her, a china doll Jayne had given her, and a few toy type things that had been cobbled together for her. He looked at the shelf over bed; the little Buddha and cross from Golensa were on it, a pair of pink hair ribbons, and a flashlight.

Wow, she really didn’t have a lot of stuff. Kid stuff. He remembered the stuff he and his friends all had. Rocks, he’d a big rock collection. Rocks that mama had always tried to throw out. Toys, broken and whole ones; a lot of them hand me downs. All kinds of stuff, Caroline her stuff it would all fit in a small box. His best friend Clarke’s sister had all kinds of girly stuff. Mal sighed and ran his hand over his chin feeling the stubble. He really wasn’t in the mood for shaving. Kid had been doing a good job of keeping her stuff picked up. He’d have to tell her that she was doing really good. That’s what that Dr Spock guy always said – positive reinforcement. Come to think of it that was how Ma trained their dogs. Guess it wasn’t that different; teaching a kid, training a dog.

Mal gave another sigh. It seemed to be a day for sighing. He looked down around the compartment and slowly trudged towards the cargo bay. Hearing the sound of little feet he looked up and saw River flitting across the passage. 

“Conundrum.” River tilted her head at Mal. “She has not had the opportunity to consider options which are unexpectedly open.”

Mal just shook his head and kept walking. The moonbrain, as Jayne called her, was really quite perceptive about a few too many things. He stopped at the top of the catwalk leading down to the cargo bay and looked around, where to start. He was pretty sure that there wasn’t going to be anything in the shuttles. Inara’s was occupied; and she was fastidious, so she would have noticed anything out of place. Shuttle Two was powered down, so to open it up Caroline would have to reconnect the power. Having Shuttle Two powered down like that wasn’t exactly convenient; but, it did save fuel. It had been powered down since before they’d picked up the little girl, so that eliminated that spot.

The best place to start would probably be by the cargo doors and work his way back; that way he could make sure that he didn’t miss anywhere. Mal quickly eliminated most of the small hiding spots; too small to fit Caroline, dust hadn’t been disturbed, plates that were too heavy for a little girl to lift, and the such. That left the hidey hole she’d skittered off to when they’d first found her and its mirror image on the other side of the cargo bay.

Jayne and the preacher both said that they’d seen her in there at various times. Times which happened to coincide with her being scared, someone being mad at her, or something like that. Mal squatted down to look into the hole on the Shuttle 2 side of the bay. The dust hadn’t been disturbed lately there. Well, that was good. 

He walked across the cargo bay to the other hidey hole. These were spots he didn’t use too much when Serenity was on smuggling runs; they were too easy to find, and everyone that knew anything about spacecraft knew of them. He bent down to look into the dim hole. Well, it looked like his nǚ hair, daughter, had made herself a nest in here. Mal shook his head; he couldn’t say too much, he’d had spots like this when he was her age. 

There was an old blanket, her mom’s brown coat (that explained why it wasn’t in their compartment), a couple of sparkly rocks they looked like she’d gotten them on Hillard, there was a lot sparkly minerals floating around. River had babbled on about them. Mal had understood about every tenth word, but, a high silica content he’d gotten. There was a pencil and some drawing paper, Wash had gotten the paper for her so she had her own pad and didn’t have to use River’s.

Mal moved the blanket around and saw a plastic bag sticking out; he picked up the blanket and his heart sank. There was the bottle of Aurolac; it looked like the one that Kaylee said was thought was missing from her tool cabinet. He sank to the floor and tears filled his eyes; his bao bei, little girl. Qin aide wo de me, Dear mother of God, what was he supposed to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ai ya — Damn  
Bao bei -- Precious/treasure  
Diyu – Hell   
Gorram – Dammit   
Mei-mei -- Little sister  
Nǚ hair – Daughter  
Niu shi -- Cow dung  
Qin aide wo de ma – Dear mother of God  
Qing wa cao de liu mang -- Frog humping son of a bitch  
Shen sheng de gao wan -- Holy testicle Tuesday  
Swai – Handsome  
Zang shang liu – filthy rich (upper class)
> 
> Children Underground. imdb.com/title/tt0264476/
> 
> Interview with Edet Belzberg. indiewire.com/people/int_Belzberg_Edet_010919.html
> 
> **Utah Baby Names** (an amazing and humorous website) wesclark.com/ubn/


	13. Jurassic Park

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to **ManicGiraffe** for letting me use Steggy and Lucy; and ever better writing their story (it's over on FFN)! Thank you to **Mal4Prez** and **Whereintheworld** for beta reading and daryl313 for keeping me in a good mood!

"Are we there yet, Steggy?"

"Curses, Lucy! As Monroe told you not three minutes ago, we are not!" Steggy's patience was wearing thin. This latest plan required utmost secrecy and timing. Steggy had been forced to hold back vital information from his troops, including the timetable and specifics of their landing point. Unlike the human leader, Steggy disliked leaving his army in the dark, but the delicate nature of this mission required it. 

Unfortunately, Lucy was proving denser than usual when attempting to grasp this concept.

"Oh." Lucy was quiet a moment, her shrewd mind turning over all the information at her disposal before she spoke again. "So... How about now?" 

"No, Lucy."

"I see!" Lucy thought some more. "So when will we be there?"

"Soon, Lucy! And then we will rule the universe! The plan is unstoppable!"

"Tell me about the plan, Steggy! Is it glorious?"

"Indeed, Lucy, it is! But, alas, due to the covert nature of this mission, only Julia may know the full details until we arrive! But I assure you, it will be marvelous once unveiled!" 

Lucy cheered briefly, before lapsing into silence again. This plan was so glorious, that Steggy couldn't even put it into words. What a great time to be a saurian. She had only one more question.

"Are we there yet?"

“No.”

There was a long pause, and a companionable silence filled the air; but, only for a moment. “How about now?”

“No.”

“When?”

“Soon.”

“When is soon?”

“Longer then a second; and less than a long time.”

Caroline stared out at the black hoping to catch a glimpse of something other than stars. She held one of Wash’s dinosaurs in her hand, Lucy. Wash had said her name was Lucy. She liked the stories he told about the dinosaurs and their grand plans. Dino tales he called them Plan M was her favorite. It was a lot of fun to play with them. Wash’s stories were even better than the cartoons she sometimes got to watch on the cortex. Cap’n; she was supposed to call him that now -- not ba’ -- let her watch them when she did good at her lessons with Shepard Book, the Doc, Kaylee, and ‘Nara. If she was really good Miss. Inara would let her watch them in her shuttle sitting on her bed. Cap’n called her the Ambassador; but, said she needed to call her Miss Inara. It was ‘spectful.

Wash was turning Steggy over in his hands and thinking about the rewiring job that they’d done on the holo-imager. He hoped it was good enough to pass muster. Mal wasn’t letting anyone in on the whole of his plan; everyone just had bits and pieces. Zoë was making noises about having a child again, said with Caroline on board and how well she was doing it couldn’t be a bad place to bring up a child. She’d grown up on a ship and hadn’t turned out too bad, especially her legs. Her legs had turned out really well, and that spot just above where her legs met her back. Yep, she was his woman, his warrior woman. This job was paying really well; after it they could afford to go someplace for a few days. Just them, no interruptions, no Zoë getting shot at, no worrying about Zoë getting shot at. Quiet time, just the two of them, wild passionate monkey sex.

“What cha thinking about, Wash?”

“Uhhh… Space monkeys.”

“The space monkeys that Captain Daddy talks about? The ones that get into ‘Renity’s engine. Or the ones that Jayne talks about having sex? Something about wild passionate monkey sex? What is that? Do monkeys have sex?”

Wash just about choked on his own tongue “Did I say that aloud?”

“What? Less than a long time.”

“Uh, no.” The thought of someone polluting the ears of the dinos: Steggy and Lucy, Wash stood awkwardly up and looked longingly at the hatch hoping someone, anyone would come through now. Now. NOW! “I’d better uh go check with Kaylee and uh make sure that we’re ready.”

Wash backed out of the hatch almost tripping over his feet; he absolutely did not want to talk about sex with a seven almost eight year old! Although given her upbringing she probably knew more about sex then he did. Maybe even more then Jayne, although that might not be possible. Could a person know more about sex then Jayne?

“Wash.”

Wash looked up and saw Shepard Book standing in the corridor.

“Shepard.”

“You look a little bothered, is there something I can help with?”

“Um uh uh. Caroline.” Wash kind of pointed in the direction of the bridge looking a lot like a fish opening and closing his mouth. “Space Monkeys.”

Book looked up towards the bridge, and then at Wash. Wash kept on going, looking like he was heading towards his and Zoë’s bunk.

Book took a step towards the bridge figuring he should check on Caroline. The captain had talked to him a little over the last couple of days about her childhood at the docks. He was worried about her; and she could easily get herself in a lot of trouble up there alone.

“Born with wings of light and a sword of faith, this heavenly incarnation embodies both fury and purity.”

At the sound of River’s/B’andra’s voice he looked back over his shoulder and saw B’andra making the grand announcement. “Yes, what are you talking about?”

“Avenging angels try to guide and protect.”

Somewhat confused by where this was coming from he just nodded; although her cryptic messages often made a lot of sense in hindsight. Book turned back towards the bridge only to be almost bowled over by Caroline running full tilt down from the bridge. Seeing her leave he figured he didn’t need to check up on her anymore. He watched her aim like a guided missile at River.

“Rrr… B’andra. B’andra. I don’t got to do lessons today, let’s go play. Will you read to me? From the book. Just for a little while. Cap’n Daddy said we’d get there soon. I can’t wait till we get there.” Caroline was talking a hundred miles an hour, her words spilling over themselves in their eagerness to get out. 

Book watched the two tromp off down the corridor to the castle; he really should go check on Kaylee. She hadn’t quite been herself since yesterday morning. Every time she looked at Caroline, it appeared that Kaylee was going to start crying. No she was not acting like herself. Paraphrasing Jayne and Mal ‘Lil’ Kaylee was usually so cheerful you sometimes just wanted to duct tape her mouth shut.’

Shepard Book arrived at Kaylee’s hatch. The usually cheerful Christmas lights were off. The hatch was closed. There was a low buzzing sound coming from inside; the sound gave the Shepard pause for a moment. He raised his hand to knock; but, heard a low moan from within, and decided that discretion right now might be good. He’d talk with Kaylee later, it sounded like she’d found something that would relieve stress at least for the moment.

Daily rounds. The Captain made his to make sure that everything was ship-shape. Shepard Book made his to make sure that everyone’s soul was ship-shape. Mostly he was able to talk with everyone over the course of the day without anyone thinking he was checking up on them. Ministering to the fuzzy-wuzzies as the Captain would call it.

Book figured that he should tell someone about Caroline being alone on the bridge. He turned and walked up to the bridge. Didn’t look like anything was wrong; but, then again this was newer then the one he’d been on. Book left to continue his rounds. Supposed he should go and talk with Simon; he hadn’t talked to him in a while.

The infirmary; Simon could usually be found in the infirmary. Often cleaning up messes made by Caroline, Jayne, and River, they could create quite a mess. Or else researching how to help River.

Book walked towards the infirmary, and stood in the doorway watching Simon organize what was already organized and cleaning what already appeared to be clean. Boy had almost an obsession with clean; Book supposed that the infirmary in all of its sterility was Simon’s link to what he viewed as normality. Keeping the infirmary clean gave the boy a sense of saneness and control in all of the chaos that was Serenity.

“Simon.”

Simon looked up. “It’s Dr. Mengle. Merle to my friends and fellow crew members.”

Book did a double-take; it was very peculiar seeing a non-perfectly groomed Doctor Tam. Inara must have completed his make-up and disguise. Dr. Mengle looked very much like a mostly disreputable rim physician who traveled constantly to keep the law from catching up on his mistakes. 

“I apologize for my mistake. Dr. Mengle. How are you doing today?”

“I’m fine. Be glad when this thing is over.”

“I think we all will be Dr. Mengle.” Shepard responded rolling the name around on his tongue. “Have you spoken with Kaylee today or yesterday? She seems to be upset about something.”

“No, I think she’s been fixing things and checking things on the ship. Trying to make sure nothing breaks down.”

“Merle, I think something is bothering her. She seems unhappy. I was wondering if you knew why?”

“No, I’m sorry. I’ve been a little distracted for the last few days. I’ll talk to her.”

“Thank you. How are you doing?”

“Ok, a little nervous.” Book was the one person on the ship Simon felt that he could open up to about his nervousness about this job. “I’m hoping this is easier and goes better than last time when I was a mud buyer.

“You’ll do fine. You are Dr. Merle Mengle; you have a lot of familiarity with the medical field.”

“I hope so.”

“Be confident. If you need anything, just come and look for me.”

“Thank you Shepard.” Simon turned back to organizing and cleaning his already spotless infirmary. Book supposed that he was working on making it look like a bare bones infirmary as opposed to the ‘full infirmary’ in shuttle two. He walked out and continued his rounds. Wash would be with Zoë and with the sounds coming out of their bunk marital happiness was not an issue at the moment. He hoped that they’d worked out the whole child thing, come to an agreement that they were both happy with. Maybe they were making friends with the space monkeys? Or whatever Wash had been talking about.

Book started humming to himself from psalms; it made him feel a sense of inner peace. Serenity actually, kind of ironic considering all that had happened at Serenity Valley, this crew, and their captain.

Shepard Book walked through the corridors of Serenity. It was very quiet, not a peaceful quiet, more of a tense silence. As he neared the cargo bay he could hear Jayne grunting. It sounded like Mal was spotting him; he could hear him counting repetitions. The preacher padded softly across the catwalk, not trying to avoid the pair; but, seeking not to disturb them.

“Preacher.” Jayne grunted, as he exhaled and pushed the weighted bar up over his head.

The mercenary had ears like that of a dog; very sharp. That was one reason why he was such a good tracker. “Jayne, Mal.” Book looked over the railing. “I hope that you both are doing fine today.”

Mal grunted an assent. Jayne kept pushing the heavy bar up and down, and Shepard Book walked to the door of Inara’s shuttle and knock.

“Come in Shepard. I’ve been expecting you.”

“How did you know it was me?”

Inara smiled; the knowing smile of a trained companion. The enigmatic smile of a woman enjoying a bit of knowledge that she alone knows. “Shepard, you come and visit every day around this time. Like a doctor completing rounds, Simon takes care of our physical beings; you, Shepard, take care of our spiritual being. You knocked, almost no one on Serenity knocks; they just barge in. You take the extra moment to knock. I appreciate that.”

“A doctor completing rounds, I hadn’t realized that I had become that predictable. Should I leave you alone?”

“Predictable yes, unwelcome Shepard; never. Would you care for a cup of tea?”

“I would love one. Thank you.”

Inara began setting out the tea service. She enjoyed the ritual of formal tea. The time that it gave her to think. Shepard sat down in his usual place in the shuttle; Inara knelt before him laying out the tea service.

“I greatly enjoy our discussions, Shepard. What would you like to talk about today?”

“I’m worried about Kaylee; she has seemed out of sorts for the last couple of days.”

“Yes, I spoke with her yesterday.” Inara replied, taking a delicate sip of tea. “She was quite upset. Apparently River and Caroline were talking over breakfast.” She took another sip of tea. “She didn’t realize just how sheltered a life she’s had.”

Nodding his head in agreement, Book concurred. “Yes, they both have led interesting lives.” He took a drink of the fragrant green tea that Inara had brewed. It reminded him of simpler times; the wafting odor brought back memories of his childhood, memories of the abbey, and memories of other discussions with Inara. Memories of his first time in Inara’s shuttle, when she thought he was here to lecture her on the evils of her ways.

“I didn’t know that Caroline had used drugs? She seems very young to have tried them.”

“The docks on Persephone can be very rough. At the abbey we children used to see children as young as four and five coming in that were using inhalants; we’d tried to help them. They used them to ward off hunger, loneliness, and myriad of other issues. Gave them problems with their lungs; you could always tell the kids using Aurolac they had a wheeze. And often a silver sheen on their skin where the liquid got on them.”

“Oh, that’s horrible.”

“It is a great tragedy.” They both sat in silence sipping at their tea, lost in their own thoughts. Inara was worrying about Mal and wondering what kind of trouble they were going to get into on Pythagoras. She was worrying about Caroline. Book was thinking about Pythagoras and if he was going to minister to anyone other then the crew of Serenity. The silence was companionable, and very peaceful. A few minutes of peace was very hard to come by on Serenity. There was usually something happening that interrupted whatever peace and silence a person could find.

“I want everyone in the cargo bay ASAP!” Mal’s voice cracked over the communications system.

Translations:  
Gorram – Damn


	14. The Guns of Navarone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter; another week. I’m slowing down on posting chapters because I’m currently trying to figure out the ending and don’t want to have to repost as I sort out the logic associated with an end. Thanks so much for everyone bearing with me as I get this completed!

The crew was assembled in the cargo bay of Serenity. Wash, Zoë, Dr. Mengle (aka Simon) and Captain Reynolds on one side of the bay. Wash, Zoë, and Mall were chatting about what dinner was going to be that that night; who was cooking and the possibility of a poker game that evening. It was Wash’s to cook; he was a decent cook; so everyone was happy. Right now the chore wasn’t so much cooking as it was cajoling, cajoling the crew to not whine about molded protein. The better part of a month in space had depleted the pantry. 

Simon was standing a little to one side of the conversation all nervous, twisting a damp handkerchief around in his hands. Shepard Book and Inara stood apart keeping to themselves, quiet. River, now B’andra stood holding hands with Caroline; Caroline had on the dress she gotten with Mal when they went shopping on Hillard and pigtails, and B’andra had two braids to help her look younger. Kaylee stood nervously behind them her hands clutching both of their shoulders. Jayne stood a little in front of ‘his’ women folk holding Vera. His stance was protective. Ain’t no ruttin’ way no one was getting’ between him and his women (that included Vera).

Everyone on board had felt the thump when they had docked with the Alliance cruiser. Mating it was called; not like any sex was gonna be happening. The Alliance cruiser basically sucked up the smaller ship. Probably more like fucking then sex or making love. No kissing on the mouth kind of fucking. Caroline had asked if the bigger ship was going to eat them; Wash had tried to explain that they were mating to her. He had been up on the bridge guiding them in making sure nothing would go wrong. Now everyone was standing in the cargo bay staring at the hatch waiting for it to open. Waiting, just waiting.

Clang, clang. The sound of something metallic crashing against the cargo bay’s door made everyone jump. River and Kaylee clung to each other huddling against Jayne. Caroline leaped into Jayne’s arms clutching Zoey and whimpering. Inara visibly winced and shifted closer to Shepard Book. Zoë and Wash shifted closer to each other; Mal clenched his fists and then unclenched them in a mostly invisible effort to calm down. Simon just about leaped out of his potbelly. He was convulsively twisting the handkerchief, and gulping. Mal glared at him trying to glare him into submission. Buddha only knows Mal wished that this went better then when they had Simon playing a clay buyer. 

“Niu shi. Ni ta ma de.” Mal whispered furiously at Simon. “Calm down!”

Simon paused. He was sweating, and gnawing on the inside of his mouth. “Uh, uh, urm… I am calm.”

River snorted. “And the black has turned blue.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “Dr. Meng-Gla.”

“Don’t be a brat. R-r-r…” He caught Zoë’s glare. “Urr. B’andra.”

“Thank you.” She added very primly. Flipping one of her braids. “Still don’t see why I couldn’t have a cool name like Buffy or Bennett.”

They all heard the clang, clang, clang again. The Alliance was getting impatient. 

“Shut up, Moonbrain.” Jayne growled at her trying to look fierce, it was kind of hard as he was holding and trying to calm a quivering child. Vera had been relegated to being slung across his back. Mal’s heart ached; he wanted nothing more right now than to hold and comfort Caroline.

“Jayne. Be mute.” Mal growled right back at him walking to the hatch and wincing as he swung open up the door. He was greeted by a pair of stern looking gun-toting teenagers wearing the distinctive Alliance uniform. “Buddha, I must be getting old.” Mal thought to himself. “These kids couldn’t be any older then River.” 

“Welcome aboard Serenity.” Mal looked at the pair of kids on guard duty, and then behind them to the rest of the boarding team. He held up the papers that he’d gotten while they were on Hilliard. His hands were off his gun belt, he was trying to appear relaxed, trying to appear like he wasn’t smuggling very high-end medical equipment into a restricted zone. “Our papers are all in order.” He pointed at person in turn “My crew, the Washburns; pilot and my first mate. Dr. Mengle. Shepard Book. Inara Serra. Our passengers: B’andra and Caroline Smythe, their nanny Kaywinnit Fry, and their bodyguard Jayne Cobb. My name is Captain Malcolm Reynolds.”

A stocky man pushed through the boarding party. “Malcolm Reynolds?”

“Last time I checked.” Mal took a closer look at the bulbous nosed man in uniform. “Fred, Fred Burkle?”

The stocky man waved at his men “Put your guns down. We aren’t going to get any problems from these people. Guess it ain’t Sergeant no more, eh?”

Zoë looked rather incredulously at Mal, and then at Fred. She didn’t say anything. Just looked. Wash nudged his wife. “Who is Fred?”

“Hush, I’ll tell you later.”

“This is one of those war stories things isn’t it?”

“Hush.”

“It is.” Wash looked mildly disgruntled. “Another great story.”

Zoë looked over at her husband and glared. A glare that had sent many a man scrambling for cover. “Hush.”

“I see Zoë hasn’t changed.” Fred commented gesturing with his chin, taking the sheaf of papers from Mal.

Mal didn’t move a muscle the pounding in his head just turned into a whole marching band. “Changed a little. You’ve changed too.”

Jayne put Caroline down behind him and River piped up from the back “To the victors go the spoils.”

“See that little one knows something.”

“Sometimes a little too much.” Mal was very careful when he answered. He threw a glare over his shoulder at Kaylee and Jayne. “Nice uniform.”

“Yep. Decent pay, good hours. Got me a wife and three little angel’s back at home.” Fred gestured to his boarding team. “I’ll take care of this. Know these here folk good. Fought with ‘em in the war.”

Mal and Zoë both noticed that he didn’t mention which side of the war they’d all been on.

Everyone assembled in the cargo bay watched the armed boarding team stand down. The tension visibly lessened. Everyone took a breath, and Caroline peeked out from behind Jayne’s legs. The majority of the team left leaving only the pair of guards standing at the hatch connecting Serenity to the larger cruiser. Fred still watching Mal and the assembled crew and passengers pulled out his wallet and some captures. “Yep, I show these to just about everyone that comes through here. I’m so proud of them, my three little ones. Winifred, Frederick, and Lorne. You got any rug rats Mal?”

Mal wished with all of his heart that he could whip out his wallet and show off captures of Caroline. But, he didn’t have any. And it would break the whole B’andra Caroline as sisters thing. “Uh, just Serenity and the crew here, they keep me plenty busy.” He was going to have to get some captures of Caroline; be nice to have some with him.

“Mal what ‘cha you got goin’ on here in this side of the verse? You gotta place where we can set down and sort out the paperwork. Takes a lot to go on planet.”

“I do. We can use the galley. Follow me. Zoë you’re with me. Wash make sure nothing happens to Serenity. Jayne stay here and watch.” Mal gestured to the pair of remaining guards “Kaylee take the little ones to their cabin”

“NO!” Caroline stomped her patent leather clad foot and yelled. “My Jayne, I ain’t leavin’ my Jayne ‘lone.”

“Shush, little one.” Kaylee tried to sooth her. “Caroline, he’ll be fine.”

“He’s mine. I ain’t leaving him!” She pushed away from Kaylee and climbed up on Jayne’s foot clinging to his leg. Kaylee tried to peel her off, and quiet her down.

“Fine.” Mal barked. “Caroline, stay with Jayne. Kaylee take R- the beatific one to your chamber.” He glared at Caroline a look that said when this is done you’re gonna get it. “Inara, Book, Dr…”

Inara interrupted him “Captain. The Doctor, the Shepard and I will be having a cup of afternoon tea in my shuttle.” Inara tilted her head toward Simon and regally led the way towards her shuttle. The sooner Simon was out of sight of everyone in any type of official position the better.

Mal led the way from the galley Fred followed him. Zoë took up the rear her hand never straying far from her gun. She didn’t trust this man who could so easily change sides. The last time she’d seen Fred Burkle he’d been a browncoat; a volunteer like her and Mal. He’d believed in what they were fighting for; at least she’d thought he’d believed. How could someone just switch sides? Like a chameleon changing colors. She watched Fred walking in front of her, he didn’t say anything; but, with the way his head was moving it didn’t seem like he was missing anything.

They all took spots at the table. Mal sat at the head, Zoë on his right and Burkle across from her.

“So you got anything to drink?” Fred asked. Mal cocked his head at Zoë who went and prepared the service. She prepared the tray like she’d seen Inara do innumerable times. Inara prepared the tea service with the grace of a trained companion, a geisha. Zoë used her own style of grace to prepare the tea service, the leonine grace of a leopard, awesome and ferocious. The tea she brewed was Inara’s special blend a fragrant blend scented with jasmine grown on Sihnon.

Zoë remembered how much Fred Burkle liked his intoxicating beverages; she figured she would see if he still pooh-poohed tea as a sissy beverage only drunk by core muckety mucks. Except that he’d phrased it jian jiu xiu shi ni ta ma de, dandified mother humpers. More than once she’d had to track down his passed-out ass somewhere and haul it back to camp.

He’d changed since she’d last seen him. Older, more weathered; but, Zoë figured that the war had changed them all. Fred was a lot plumper then he’d been during the war, it looked like marriage agreed with him. His eyes were a lot harder than they used to be, they were flinty. That was a good description, flinty, the description had been in a book she’d read; one of Kaylee’s romance novels. ‘Love On A Windy Hill’ or something like that.

With an authoritative clunk Zoë set the tray with three delicate cups on it and a pot of tea on the table. They rattled, clinking together. Mal had never heard them rattle before. When Inara served tea everything had an order to it, and nothing was ever out of place, not a hair on her head or a cup on her tray. Tea service it seemed to Mal was Inara’s way of controlling the chaos that was life in the black. She was teaching Caroline the intricacies of the formal tea service.

Fred delicately took a small china cup from the tray, his ham like hands overwhelming the cup. “Cordi calmed me down; I like to say she turned me into a man. She’s a real nice lady; you all would like her.” He took a sip of the tea; it was fragrant with jasmine blossoms. “Met her in Navarone. She was working in a shop, had just finished up school.” He paused, smelled the tea, looked over at Zoë. “Well the short of it is we fell in love. I needed a job; a real job. Not running guns, like I had been. So her daddy is some high muckety-muck in the Alliance power structure in Navarone; he got me a job with the local garrison in Navarone. Done pretty well, hours are regular; well they were until the blockade started about three months ago. Some kids from one of the colleges on Pythagoras studying ancient history. Earth-That-Was gao-se. They done got all idealistic six ways to Sunday, and next thing you know we’re all stuck out here monitoring traffic in and out. Being fucking traffic cops. Haven’t seen my kids or Cordi in three weeks, we got a nice little house outside of town, got a garden and everything. It’s more boring than staring at a feifei de piyan being stuck out here.”

“Huh.” Mal grunted; he took a sip of tea at stared at Fred. Hard to imagine him all domesticated. He didn’t have a clue what to say. “Zoë got married.”

“Washburn you said your name was now?” 

Zoë glared at Mal. “It is.” The little hairs on the back of her neck were tingling; it was a feeling of suspicion. Everything was off, something was not right. This whole job was just not right.

Mal added “She married our pilot, best gorram pilot in the verse.”

The whole conversation seemed off to Zoë. A man she thought was a friend, a browncoat like them was sitting across the table in an Alliance uniform sipping tea like they were in a gorram tea house. “Fred, what in the name of Buddha are you doing working for the Alliance? You were a volunteer, what happened?”

“Zoë.” Mal gave Zoë a warning glare. It was much the same look that he’d given Caroline earlier.

“No, it’s all right. I’ve ask myself that every morning. Don’t agree with their politics. Don’t agree with a lot of things they do in the verse as a whole. Pythagoras and Navarone they pretty much leave us alone. Provide some stability. Keep the wife and kids fed. Give the rug rats some schooling, so I figure it’s all good.”

“Heard some rumors about a Firefly, doing Robin Hood exploits, that you?”

“Robin Hood. I don’t think so. That’s an old Earth-That-Was fairy tale.” Mal tried to brush off the question even as he felt his innards clench and twist. Last thing they needed was more questions.

“Huh, there aren’t too many Firefly’s left out in the black. Flew on one for a while. Only ones I ever run into are transports and smuggling ships. Got a message sent over the cortex about a Firefly.” Fred looked pointedly at Mal. “What’re yall doin’ out in this part of the black?” Fred shifted his attention from Mal to both of the other table occupants.

“Bringing you all some visitors from the core -- the two girls. Their dad is from round here; feels that all his progeny need to know what it’s like out in the rim worlds. Or something like that. And our Companion has an appointment out here. Planning on staying a couple of days.”

“Don’t see as that is going to be a problem. We’re just supposed to stop people who might be supporting the insurgency.” Fred rifled through the papers and scrawled his signature in a couple of places and his initials in a couple of more. Holding the pen out to Mal, he gestured. “Sign here and here. Initial here and here. Today’s date goes here. You got anything to declare?”

Mal signed, initialed, and dated where Fred pointed. “Just a couple of kids from the core.” 

Fred chuckled and stretched. “All right, you’re good to go. Stop by on your way off-planet and we can catch up some more. I’ve got to get back. Don’t want the natives getting restless. Zoë, thank you for the tea. It’s the best cup I’ve had since we’ve been out here. Reminds me of home, similar brew to what my Cordelia makes.” 

Mal stood up, with Zoë following his lead. “Fred it’s been great seeing you.”

The men shook hands, and Fred gave a very startled Zoë a bear hug. “Zo you keep this fengdian, old warhorse, out of too much trouble.”

“I try.”

“Still as bad as ever? Eh.” He clapped Mal on the shoulder and started walking back towards the cargo bay. This time Zoë was behind Fred with Mal bringing up the rear.

Walking out Fred took a look around the cargo bay of Serenity. Shoestring operation he was running; playing taxi service to a couple of kids and mother ship to two shuttles wouldn’t keep a Firefly in the air for very long. There had to be something else going on.

The crew of Serenity that was still in the cargo bay watched Fred converse for a moment with the guards and then leave. A hush fell over the cargo bay punctuated only by soft rumbling of Jayne talking to Caroline.

Zoë looked at Jayne who was still holding Caroline, and then at Mal. “Too smooth, it’s too easy. I don’t like it at all.”

“Smooth would be nice for a change. We could use an easy job. Ain’t gonna complain.”

“Ya mean we’re clear. Ain’t gotta shoot no one?” 

Mal shook his head no to Jayne’s question, and headed up towards Inara’s shuttle. He gestured at Zoë and Jayne that they were free to go. Jayne put Caroline down and she put her small hand into his very large hand they headed off. It was gorram weird seeing a gorilla like Jayne be so tender and sweet to such a small thing like Caroline. Zoë he assumed went to go be with Wash. He paused before opening the hatch to ‘Nara’s shuttle. Wouldn’t do to break tradition and actually knock.

“Inara, Shepard, Dr.” The trio was sitting all cozy like sipping tea, it was a very intimate setting. “We’re good to go. Cleared the checkpoint without a hitch, as soon as we break atmo, Inara, you are good to go.”

“When will that be Captain?” Inara chose to ignore that Mal hadn’t knocked. She supposed that would be breaking some weird little rule of his. 

“Soon. Soon I hope.” And with that he strode out, feeling a little envious. Inara was with her type of people. His daughter’s best friend was a mercenary. His first mate’s mate and best friend was the pilot.

He walked the familiar corridors of Serenity. Maybe he could interest Caroline in a game of blackjack. She was getting pretty good at it. Last week he’d ended up setting the table three nights in a row. He sighed to himself; he did need to talk to her about the tantrum she’d thrown in cargo bay. It was probably just nerves; but, she still shouldn’t be doing that.

De piyan -- Baboon's ass crack  
Fengdian -- Crazy  
Gao se -- Crap  
Gorram -- Damn  
Jian jiu xiu shi – Dandy  
Ni ta ma de -- Mother humper  
Niu shi -- Cow dung

**E/N**: Please read, comment, and provide me with ideas. Like every other author feedback is what helps keep us going. And really helps us through tough spots and to put out a quality document. 


	15. The Pythagorean Therom

Landing on Pythagoras went smoothly. They had LEGAL paperwork; and Fred Burkle’s approval which really speeded things up. Inara had been cleared by the ground control; and was on her way. Her paperwork had to be processed separately, one of the little joys of the martial law that had been enacted. 

Mal opened Serenity’s cargo bay letting the sunlight in; he stood on the ramp and breathed in the fresh air. The cargo bay open made them less suspicious. Pythagoras wasn’t like Persephone or Hilliard – it didn’t have an area like the docks. They had landed right outside the town proper; the local law had set up a contained area for ships coming on and off planet. Not too many ships wanted to deal with the restrictions being placed on them: curfew, limited access to the planet and its services. So there were only two other ships in the field. If he looked to the left he saw open fields; to the right was the town. Listening he heard the sound of feet running towards him.

“Cap’n, Cap’n can we go outside and play? Can we go outside and play? Please! We’ve been good.” Caroline was running full-tilt towards him and slammed into his body. She wrapped her arms around him and turned big puppy-dog eyes upward toward him. Right behind her was B’andra/River with Kaylee behind her. Everyone on board was excited about seeing some sunshine after being in the black for so long.

“I don’t suppose it’ll be a problem.” He looked at Kaylee “You wanna take ‘em to the park?” Mal gestured towards the park which was between the town and the field. 

Kaylee’s face lit up “It would be jian jiu xiu shi, dandy, to get outside for a little while.” She peeled Caroline from Mal’s legs and looked at River who was swaying to music only she could hear. It hadn’t been a great day for River; but, it been better than some.

“We can go?” Caroline’s face lit up as River’s clouded up.

“This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath curse.” River mumbled.

“Yep, the four of you can go. Don’t leave sight of the ship.” He squatted down and looked right into Caroline’s face holding her chin. “You listen to Kaylee and Jayne. If they say do something you do it. No questions, no sass; dong ma?”

“Uh huh.” Mal didn’t let go of her chin and kept looking at her. “Yes, da yeh. I’ll be good I promise.” With a nod he let go of her chin; her bottom was still remembered the talking he’d given her yesterday about the tantrum she’d thrown in the cargo bay. He’d explained that tantrums like she’d thrown could get someone hurt. “Can I get Jayne now? Please, please, please.” Her enthusiasm was rolling off her in waves; and she was just about bouncing out of her patent leather shoes. Mal tugged on one of her short pigtails; she finally had enough hair to make pigtails. Kaylee had put her hair in pigtails; pigtails with pink ribbons. The ribbons were some of the last remnants of her ballgown.

“Go. Make sure you get a sweater too.” Mal yelled over his shoulder as he scanned the area surrounding the ship.

Caroline bounced out of the cargo bay screaming “Jayne, Jayne, we can go to the park. Jayne, do you want to take us to the park? Jayne!”

“He looked over at River. “B’Andra, you going to be okay?” Mal really didn’t want River going off Serenity if she was going to have a spell or go all moon-brained on them.

Mal looked over at Kaylee. “Nice uniform.”

“I know isn’t it shiny.” Kaylee grinned over at him. “I’d better go make sure that the girls both have sweaters and shoes. I’ll keep a close eye on both of them.” She turned and headed back into the ship.

It seemed like it was only a second before Caroline emerged dragging Jayne by the hand. Jayne was wearing the grey and purple coat Kaylee had gotten him on Hilliard and was holding the bright pink sweater they’d gotten Caroline. He did not look too happy about wearing the fairly formal coat or carrying the bright pink sweater. He was comfortable with children; just not the girly crap that went along with them. Kaylee and B’andra/River were close behind Jayne and Caroline. Shepard Book was following them carrying a bible.

Caroline was bouncing, bouncing, bouncing singing at the top of her lungs. “Park, park, we’re going to the park.”

“Good day, Captain. I thought I might tag along with them. A little sunlight will us all some good.” Book added interjected into one of Caroline’s short pauses.

“Jayne; don’t let them out of your sight. All of you need to be back in time for dinner.” He looked specifically at Caroline, then River, then Kaylee reiterating his statement from earlier “Listen to Jayne; if he says do something, you all need to do it. Same goes for Shepard Book and Kaylee.”

“Shirrah, Captain, shirrah.” River bobbed her head in acknowledgement; Caroline also bobbed her head and went back to pulling Jayne down the gangplank towards the park. 

Mal watched them head over to the park, and shook his head. It was good to see Caroline happy. She was blossoming into happy, healthy little girl; she wasn’t the pale skittish waif that had showed up. He really wasn’t too sure how to deal with the whole huffing thing; but, maybe putting it off would work. Mal shrugged at himself turned and made his way up to the common area looking for Zoë. They needed to scout out the area for the meet. He would have rather had Jayne; but, Jayne was with the ‘kids.’ Couldn’t let their cover be blown by sending children out onto an unknown planet without their bodyguard.

“Zoë; you ready?” Mal called out. 

“I am Sir, I am.” Zoë came out of the common area adjusting her gun belt. 

“No visible guns. Don’t want to get the locals suspicions up.”

Zoë shook her head and headed back to her and Wash’s bunk. She was muttering “Juh Guh Jee Hua Juhn Kuh Pah. Unknown planet, unknown people, no weapons. Not a good idea.”

“Honey, can you hear me?” She was doing her comm check with Wash as she emerged from the berthing area pulling on her brown coat; adjusting the pistol in its holster under her arm. “Let’s go.”

They headed out on the mule to locate supplies. Well, that was what they were using as a cover story. After they left it was just Wash and the doctor on board. The ship was quieter than it had been for a long time. No little feet running around.

The mule headed toward the town with Mal making small talk type comments on the stores and what they needed. Zoë was keeping an eye out for items of interest, security (visible and not so visible), suspicious people, and the such.

“Four cameras on the mercantile.” Zoë muttered.

Mal slowed the mule down as they came into the town, making all appearances to abide by the posted speed limits and to maintain safe vehicle operations; but, really so that Zoë could see more. “Zoe; did you see the security guy turn the corner?”

“Sir I did. Private from the looks of it.”

“Interesting little turn. Not only is there the Alliance sub-station up on the hill.” Mal gestured with his head up towards the squat block building. “But, the locals are also hiring private security.”

“Cameras on bank, the cobbler.” Zoë’s voice drifted off as she looked around; her eyes narrowing in suspicion. “Every building has a minimum of four cameras. No spot on this street isn’t visible to whomever is watching.”

“Ni Ta ma de. Mother humper.” Mal mummered for Zoë and Wash’s ears only. “This just got a whole lot more gorram interesting.” Speaking up for whoever was listening. “Guess we better pick up something for dinner. Our guests have to be a little tired of protein by now.”

They’d reached the end of the town. For all of Pythagoras’ pretensions to be a core planet; in many ways it was still a rim planet. The buildings resembled the old west from Earth-That-Was. Mal’s ma had told him stories about it; Mal turned the mule around and they headed back towards the mercantile.

The two entered the mercantile. It was the same store they’d been in on any number of planets. Sold a little bit of everything; this one was a little larger than most and sold some more citified stuff. Even Inara would probably be able to find something she wanted here; usually rim mercantile sold gingham instead of silk, iron not gold and silver – this one had some of everything. Silver tableware, iron farm implements, gold jewelry, cotton yard-goods, and porcelain tea services.

Zoë was looking at the internal security and to see if they had any plastic dinosaurs. Steggy and Lucy could use some company; and surprising Wash was wonderful and very hard to do. 

The storekeeper walked over to where Mal was looking at children’s books. “Yall the folk who landed yesterday?”

Mal looked up from The Ugly Duckling. “Yes, we are.” 

“Huh, got kids on board.”

“Yep, two of them.” He wondered about why this man was so curious; people on the rim planets were usually more reticent (as Inara or the doc would put it). Jayne would just say gorram silent.

“Don’t get too many folk this way since the blockade. Nice to see some new blood in these parts. You aimin’ to set up shop here?”

“Nope, just stopping by. Some core folk wanted their kids to see where they came from.” Mal carefully stuck to the story he’d fed Fred.

“Huh; what ‘r their names? Hear you all got a doctor on board too.”

“Yep, we got a doctor. Preacher too.” Mal picked up the book; it seemed to be about her reading level. She was picking the schooling stuff up pretty quick. The Shepherd and the doctor were good teachers. And he’d been seeing Zoë working with her a lot too. Even Jayne helped out some.

Jayne had told Caroline about Pythagoras. That is was an emerging planet; had two colleges; and that their economy was based primarily on high-end organic produce. It surprised Mal that Jayne had known so much about the planet. Caroline had said that it was Geography; except she called it “jografy.” And that it was Jayne’s favorite school subject.

“B’Andra. That’s a Utah name; they’re a couple of towns over.” He gestured with his head out to the west.

“Huh.” Mal walked over to the counter with the book, a small bag of apples, green peppers, turnips, potatoes, and some carrots. “This is all we need today.”

“You all lookin’ to go over there?” 

“Mebbe. We’ll see how everything goes here; blockade is a bit worrisome.” Mal quickly added a pair of flowered hair ribbons to his small stack of goods. Ma always gave him little treats when he done good. Like when he got an A on a test; or did extra work around the ranch. A lot of times it wasn’t anything big; a couple of pieces of rice candy or a toy soldier, sometimes a book. The shopkeeper and Mal exchanged credits. Prices weren’t that bad. Would be a good place to replenish Serenity’s stores. “You ‘bout ready Zoë?”

“Shirrah.” She walked over to the counter holding a small green plastic dinosaur; handed the shopkeeper some coinage and followed Mal out the door. Zoë carefully tucked the dinosaur into her coat; Wash would know the species just by looking at it. Zoë knew that she hadn’t seen this one before.

They rode in companionable silence back towards the ship. As they passed the playground Mal circled his finger in the air at Jayne who nodded in curt agreement. It looked like Caroline had found friends to play with. B’Andra/River was off talking with a cluster of girls about the age she was supposed to be. Not that she was much older than they were. Gaggles were what his mother called; because, they squawked like geese.

They pulled into the cargo bay. Simon and Wash were waiting for them; well Wash was waiting for Zoë. He pulled her into a hug; which she didn’t resist. “Missed you lover.”

“Mmm…” Zoë replied. They linked their hands and headed out of the cargo bay. 

Mal looked out over the field toward the park. The ‘kids’ were headed back. Kaylee and B’Andra were in the back. Book was in the middle. Jayne was up front; carrying Caroline wrapped in his coat. It looked like she was asleep. Fresh air must have done her good.

Mal nodded at Simon who was waiting for River; and grabbed the bag out of the mule; he needed to hide the book and the hair ribbons he’d added at the last minute. Little girls needed rewards for being good. He got them because he remembered when he was a kid how excited Xing got when she got new ribbons. Mal was lost in thoughts of his childhood as he headed to the berthing area. He needed to hide the ribbons; was gonna save them for a reward when she did something good. Although some days those seemed to be few and far between; other days she was a little angel.

Jayne walked into the hanger bay carrying a sleeping Caroline with a trail of people behind him. Book paused to shut the cargo bay when a teenager ran up panting. “Yall, Serenity; Captain Reynold’s ship?”

“Yes, this is his ship. Can I help you son?

“I’ve got some green beans for him.” He handed over a bag and a note and took off back toward the town. Book finished shutting the cargo hold door. The curfew on Pythagoras said that all shipboard personnel needed to be onboard with the ship secured by sundown. They had about an hour or two yet; but, there wasn’t any need to tempt fate.

When Book got up to the common area with the beans Simon was almost vibrating with waiting for River to be back. He always worried about her being off-ship without him there to protect her. As soon as the cargo bay was closed he was over to the group. “River are you ok? Did anything happen? Did anyone notice you?”

River inclined her head at Simon and with a haughty gesture “Dr Mengle; we are fine. The park was quite invigorating; Caroline and I made some friends. Sir, how was your day?”

River tossed her hair and headed toward the common area. Simon shook his head in irritation. He hated it when his sister did things like this; the only thing you could do was play along; she seemed to lose herself in the person she was playing. “Very quiet. Very quiet.”

“Gorram; moon brain.” Jayne muttered patting Caroline on the back trying not to wake her up. “Addlepated in the brain pan, that one is.” He followed them down to common area; figuring that the couch would be a good place for her to lie down till dinner. “Shepard you coming?” He tossed over his shoulder; he figured his stupid purple and grey coat thing could work as a blanket unless Kaylee had something already in there.

Shepard Book wasn’t too far behind Jayne and Caroline. Jayne had been walking pretty slowly; it looked like he didn’t want to wake her. It amazed him at how caring and gentle Jayne was with the little girl. Amazed wasn’t the right word; awed was a better word. This sensitive side of Jayne that most people never got to see. Book understood it; showing that you cared could be perceived as a weakness. In a lot of the situations that this crew found themselves in -- weaknesses got you killed.

Dinner that night was a very boisterous affair. Pretty much everyone had a good day. Mal, Zoë, and Wash kept their operational concerns to themselves. Both Zoë and Mal thought it weird that a storekeeper knew the names of everyone on board. It seemed weird that he had access to the passenger manifests. But, they’d discuss them with Jayne later that night and the next morning; while they finalized plans. Wash had made a little progress on degarbling the wave from Badger; he’d realized he was going to have to dig out some of his old texts from school. It was an interesting problem that would keep him busy for a few days.

The bag of green beans had contained the information on the drop. And the vegetables Mal had picked up REALLY livened up his stir fry. It was his night to cook; and while he had a limited repertoire what the Captain could make was actually quite good. 

Mal looked around the table. Almost everyone was there. Wash and Zoë were talking amongst themselves. Kaylee, River and Caroline were telling Simon all about their time at the park. Jayne was busily eating and the Shepard was happy because he had gotten to spread the word a little. Only Inara was missing; her engagement was a two day affair. Some fancy party going on tonight that Kaylee had been really excited about. She’d been begging Inara to tell her all the details after she got back, and wanted to know what all everyone was wearing. Caroline wanted to know about the food; and thought that if there was kissing that was gross. River had chimed in asking about the dancing.

Yep, it was a good day. Everyone had eaten their fill; conversation was winding down. Mal looked over at Caroline; her head was starting to nod down towards her bowl. He got up and gently picked her up. “Come on bao bei; let’s get you to bed.”

“No da; I ain’ tired. Honest. ‘Sides I gotta clear the table and help with dishes.”

“Kaylee and River will do dishes tonight. We gotta get you washed up. Tomorrow’s another day.” Mal lifted the tired little girl up into his arms and headed out of the common area. Kaylee started clearing the table; she and River had dish duty. Caroline was supposed to clear the table. The night routines of the ship began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bao bei -- Precious/treasure  
Da Yeh -- Sir  
Dong ma? – Understand?  
Gorram -- Damn  
Jian jiu xiu shi – Dandy  
Juh Guh Jee Hua Juhn Kuh Pah -- There's nothing about this plan that isn't horrific.  
Ni ta ma de -- Mother humper  
Shirrah -- Affirmative  
Tzao gao- Damn it
> 
> E/N: I feel obligated to say that this and the following chapters have only been read over about ten times instead of the usual hundred; and I haven’t years to contemplate them. So please point out logic inconsistencies (Thank you RionaEire) and other weird errors I’ve made.
> 
> Oh; and the Mandarin in this whole thing – I’ve stolen it from a variety of places. So I can’t vouch for any of its accuracy.

**Author's Note:**

> Translations:  
Fei hua  
Gorram - damn


End file.
